Intelligence unit allegedly plotted opposition leader's murder

Zimbabwe’s much-feared Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) had considered eliminating opposition leader Nelson Chamisa in 2020, then have it blamed on Covid-19, a UK-based investigative unit has claimed. According to New Zimbabwe, Dug Up reported that Chamisa, who was the front-runner to win Zimbabwe’s 2023 presidential elections, had been identified by CIO operatives as the main challenge to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s second term in office. Chamisa resigned from the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) last week (see report below). The Dug Up article, which seeks to explain how former CIO DG Isaac Moyo lost his job, reveals intricate details about the goings on at the state security agency, including a plot to have Moyo fired in 2020, just over two years after his appointment by Mnangagwa. Moyo, said Dug Up, was viewed more as a diplomat rather than an operative. His juniors are said to have openly told Mnangagwa that having him as head of the CIO would cost him his presidency and advised that he be relieved of all duties. For allegedly refusing to kill Chamisa and other ‘problematic’ elements within Zimbabwe’s politics, Moyo was described as being ‘too nice to lead the CIO.’ ‘As early as 2020, Mnangagwa received reports that claimed Moyo was a nice but ineffective DG.

One such report, dated 15 February 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. 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. The DG refused to authorise the operations. His juniors wrote a report saying he was too nice to lead the CIO.' New Zimbabwe notes that then leading the CCC, Chamisa survived numerous attempts on his life towards the 2023 elections. Moyo, who was eventually replaced by Fulton Mangwanya earlier this year, is reported to have unsuccessfully sought an exit in 2022 as confrontations and questions around his modus operandi from his juniors continued. Moyo, according to the article, also demanded reports for any case of excess force and barred the carrying of weapons.

Chamisa resigned unexpectedly early in February, revealing attempts to hijack the opposition and threats of violence, arrests and detention of his loyalists, The Standard reports. He said his party had been infiltrated and that many names had been compromised and shared with the ruling ZANU-PF party. In statement following the resignation, ZANU-PF revealed a list of individuals targeted by the regime, including those outside the country working to support the opposition. Some MPs aligned with Chamisa were also mentioned. Concerns regarding infiltration and threats had been previously raised. With Chamisa now openly acknowledging the alleged control exerted by the military and the CIO over the Movement for Democratic Change and CCC, Zimbabweans returning to the country are feared to become targets and face charges under questionable laws.