Harare – A United Kingdom investigative unit, Dug Up, has made explosive claims that Zimbabwe's Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) considered assassinating opposition leader Nelson Chamisa in 2020 and masking the act as a Covid-19 related death. The report emerges amidst a concerning trend of deaths among high-ranking military officials in recent years.
According to Dug Up, the alleged plot was hatched because Chamisa, then leader of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), was identified as the primary obstacle to President Emmerson Mnangagwa securing a second term in the 2023 presidential elections.
The Dug Up article also delves into the circumstances surrounding the removal of former CIO Director General (DG) Isaac Moyo, revealing alleged internal power struggles and disagreements over operational tactics within the state security agency.
Before being appointed CIO Director-General, Moyo was Zimbabwe's ambassador to South Africa.
The investigative piece suggests that Moyo's reluctance to authorise the alleged assassination plot against Chamisa, and other actions that were viewed as too lenient, ultimately led to his downfall.
"As early as 2020, Mnangagwa received reports that claimed Moyo was a nice but ineffective DG. One such report, dated February 15, 2021, claimed Moyo had turned down two projects/operations that suggested using the Covid-19 pandemic as a smokescreen to kill opposition candidates including Nelson Chamisa," the Dug Up report states.
It is alleged that the proposal originated from within the CIO's operative division, suggesting that eliminating opposition figures could be concealed amidst the pandemic.
"Dug Up understands the proposal came from the operative division of the CIO and suggested that the elimination of opposition actors could be hidden behind the pandemic."
Moyo's refusal to sanction the operation reportedly drew criticism from his subordinates, who allegedly labelled him as "too nice to lead the CIO."
"The DG refused to authorise the operations. His juniors wrote a report saying he was too nice to lead the CIO."
The report further claims that Moyo confronted his juniors in a heated internal Joint Operations Command (JOC) meeting, where his deputies allegedly told him directly, "You are not an Operative."
Moyo, who was eventually replaced by Fulton Mangwanya earlier last year, is said to have sought an exit in 2022 due to ongoing confrontations and questions regarding his leadership style from within the CIO.
In addition to the alleged assassination plot, the Dug Up report highlights other reforms implemented by Moyo that were unpopular among CIO operatives. These included requiring operatives to surrender their identity cards before leaving work to curb abuse and demanding reports for any instance of excessive force. He also allegedly banned the carrying of weapons by CIO operatives.
The allegations of a plot to eliminate Chamisa come against a backdrop of numerous attempts on his life in the lead-up to the 2023 elections.
The claims made by Dug Up also coincide with a concerning number of deaths amongst senior military figures in Zimbabwe in recent years, raising questions and fuelling speculation.
Coincidentally, Zimbabwe has lost dozens of serving and retired army generals in recent years, some of who were key in the ouster of the late former President Robert Mugabe during the November 2017 military coup.
Other senior military officers have been retired or redeployed away from the army.
Last year alone, more than two dozen senior military men have died.
In October last year, outspoken former War Veterans minister, Colonel (Rtd) Tshinga Dube, was laid to rest at the National Heroes Acre in Harare after succumbing to kidney failure.
Retired Brigadier-Generals Michael Chaminuka and Lameck Mutanda as well as Colonel Andrew Kabaira died in July last year.
Chaminuka, once a senior staffer in Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga’s office when he was army commander, died on July 13 at Trauma Centre in Harare after a short illness.
Mutanda, who was based in the United Kingdom, was declared national hero posthumously and was buried there.
Kabaira succumbed to a short illness on July 21 at an army hospital.
Other generals who have died in recent years include the late retired Lieutenant-General Sibusiso Moyo, who gained prominence in 2017 when he appeared on the national broadcaster, ZBC-TV, announcing the coup that toppled Mugabe.
Moyo died after succumbing to COVID-19 in January 2021, the government said.
He was the Foreign Affairs minister at the time of his death.
In January 2021, Zimbabwe National Army commander Lieutenant General Edzai Chimonyo succumbed to cancer.
He assumed his position in December 2017 when he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-General by Mnangagwa a month after the coup.
Before he was appointed commander of the ZNA, Chimonyo was on secondment to the Foreign Affairs ministry as Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Tanzania.
Retired Major-General Douglas Nyikayaramba, a former chief of staff responsible for administration in the ZNA, succumbed to COVID-19 in February 2021.
Nyikayaramba was credited for having played an important role in ensuring a win for Mugabe during the 2002 presidential elections when he was chief executive officer of the Electoral Supervisory Commission, now Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec).
Other generals who succumbed to COVID-19-related complications include former Agriculture minister and ex-Air Force of Zimbabwe commander Perrance Shiri, Brigadier-General Sambulo Ndlovu, Major-General (Retired) Clever Shadreck Chiramba and ex-Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service chief Paradzai Zimondi.
In 1992, Shiri was appointed the commander of the Air Force of Zimbabwe, taking over from Air Chief Marshal Josiah Tungimirai.
In December 2008, Shiri was ambushed on the way to his farm in Bindura which was seized from a white commercial farmer in 2000.
Chiramba, a former commander of 2 Infantry Brigade, succumbed to COVID-19 at a local hospital in Harare in June 2021.
Ndlovu, whose Chimurenga name was Stanley Hlayibeni, died at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in October 2020 due to a COVID-19-related illness.
His death came a few short days after the burial of Brigadier General Rhufus Chigudu, who succumbed to diabetes on September 24, 2020.
Chigudu was also declared a national hero.
Zimondi, a Retired Major-General and former Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services commissioner, died in January 2021.
He held various commanding posts in the army, including being commander of the Presidential Guard between 1983 and 1984.
He retired from the top prisons’ post in November 2020 after 22 years of service, which began in 1998 when he was 51.
In April last year, Brigadier-General Shadreck Vezha died in a road traffic accident alongside other army officers.
In February 2022, Chiwenga’s aide Lieutenant-Colonel Israel Mandizvidza died at West End Hospital after a short illness in Harare.
He was a principal director in Chiwenga’s office.
Within a few weeks apart in 2022, Retired Major-Generals Sydney Bhebe, Sikhulile Simpson Nyathi and Godfrey Chanakira died.
Bhebe, who retired from the army in 2021, died in June 2022.
An army spokesperson did not give the cause of death, only stating in a statement that Bhebe died at the Avenues Clinic in Harare.
Chanakira died in May 2022.
At the time of his death, he was a permanent secretary in Chiwenga’s office.
Reports emerged that army commanders confronted Mnangagwa demanding the conferment of national hero status on Chanakira.
Mnangagwa was forced to make a dramatic U-turn on his earlier decision in which he had merely granted him a State-assisted funeral.
Nyathi died in May 2022 at the ZNA 2 Referral Hospital in Harare after a short illness.
In April 2022, Colonel John Mhlanga died in a car accident along the Bulawayo-Plumtree Highway on his way to Botswana.
He was the country’s defence attaché to Botswana following his promotion in August 2018.
In October 2021, Colonel Denis Pahla whose Chimurenga name was Cde Kid Nyikandeyedu, died at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals after succumbing to injuries following a car accident.
The car he was travelling in is said to have rolled over into Gwebu River along the Harare-Chinhoyi road.
In September 2022, Brigadier-General Charles Kaneta died after he collapsed at his farm in Nyanga.
He was pronounced dead upon arrival at Hauna District Hospital.
Three years earlier, Brigadier-General Emilio Munemo passed away after a short illness in Harare.
He was the director-general civil military relations at the ZDF Headquarters.
A veteran of the liberation struggle, Brigadier-General Fidelis Satuku (Retired) died at a military hospital in July 2021 from kidney complications.
He served as Zimbabwe Defence Forces director-general for policy and personnel.
A former ZPRA commander, Brigadier-General Collin Moyo (Retired) died in January 2021 in Harare.
Colonel Christopher Rufu Mayoyo, died in April 2021 at his Jatala Estate Farm in Triangle.
In November 2018, Lieutenant Colonel Chubbchecker Mutungwe died at a private hospital in Harare after a short illness.
Other generals who have passed on include Brigadier-General (Retired) Temba Kanganga, who died in August 2019 after a long illness, liberation war hero Retired Colonel Lwazi Tsheza (July 2022) and Lieutenant Colonel Campion Mudzimba (August 2020).
Mudzimba died at Parirenywata Hospital after a short illness.
Tsheza passed away at United Bulawayo Hospitals after a short illness.
The army has played a critical role in Zanu PF politics.
However, section 208 of the Constitution expressly prohibits the security services from acting in a partisan manner.
