How Zimbabwe nabbed South African spy

How Zimbabwe nabbed South African spy

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By Barnabas Thondhlana

A SA spymaster, who "controlled" high-profile Zimbabwean "informants", was lured into Zimbabwe by one of his "recruits" - and then arrested.

His arrest exposed at least five alleged spies, four of whom have since been detained, and has triggered a diplomatic row between South Africa and Zimbabwe.

The SA agent, who cannot be named at this stage, was arrested in Victoria Falls last December and is being held by Zimbabwean authorities. He reportedly broke under interrogation and released the names of "agents" he was handling.

The 40-year-old white agent had also been earlier arrested in Zimbabwe for a different and minor infraction early last year but was released after intervention by the SA authorities.

The arrested man, who "handled" at least five known "informants", committed the major mistake of trying to recruit the head of counter intelligence of the Zimbabwean Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO).

Intelligence sources in SA told City Press that it was this move that eventually saw the man arrested at Victoria Falls.

Information pieced together by City Press reveal that the alleged agent had travelled to Livingstone, in Zambia, after making arrangements with the CIO officer to meet there.

The plan had been that the CIO officer was to check into a hotel on the Zimbabwean side in Victoria Falls and then travel either by foot or car over to Livingstone for the meeting.

"But on the day of the scheduled meeting the CIO officer phoned the SA agent to say he could not make the meeting in Livingstone "for various reasons" that related to his family. He proposed that the SA agent travel to Victoria Fallsfor the meeting instead.

"The SA agent agreed and crossed into Zimbabwe and went to the hotel where the CIO officer had booked in. But it was a trap and within 15 minutes of his arrival, the Zimbabweans walked out with him under arrest," our source said.

The arrest was kept under wraps while the CIO interrogated the man. He then started confessing, and revealed the names of his "informants". It was this that led to the arrest of three prominent ZANU PF officials and a diplomat who had been stationed in SA for nearly 10 years.

These are Zanu PF Member of Parliament and Mashonaland West provincial chairman Phillip Chiyangwa, banker Tendai Matambanadzo, ambassador designate to Mozambique Godfrey Dzvairo, Zanu PF Director of External Affairs Itai Marchi and Switzerland-based embassy official Erasmus Moyo.

Moyo, however, disappeared en route to Zimbabwe following the arrest of the others. He made good his escape at a Swiss airport after being escorted by Zimbabwean embassy intelligence to catch a flight to Harare where he would have been placed under arrest. His whereabouts are unknown.

"Information in Harare is that the agent is being kept in a safe house "in comfortable conditions" and that the case was being handled from within the office of President Robert Mugabe himself"

When the SA man failed to return and the arrests started, SA government officials contacted the Zimbabwean authorities inquiring about him, but were rebuffed. "It took threats to release the story in the media to get the Zimbabweans to confirm that they have him," a source said.

Information in Harare is that the agent is being kept in a safe house "in comfortable conditions" and that the case was being handled from within the office of President Robert Mugabe himself.

Rumours in Harare this week were that at least two Cabinet ministers may also have been working for SA and may soon be arrested.

The debacle has embarrassed SA and the lines between Pretoria and Harare have been buzzing as all efforts were made to curtail damage ensuing from the arrests. It could not be established if Mugabe and President Thabo Mbeki have spoken about the matter.

The Ministry of Intelligence on Friday issued a statement saying only that it was policy not to comment on operational issues.

The statement was seen as the closest diplomatic confirmation that could be expected under the circumstances.

Sources said after the agent's earlier arrest in the country, he had been advised not to visit Zimbabwe again, even though the earlier arrest was not linked to espionage.

"That is why he arranged the meeting in Livingstone. The mistake was to fall for the trap and enter Zimbabwe.

"He should never have done that because the CIO are very good at what they do. He should have rescheduled the meeting and flown home," another source said.
City Press
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