Zimbabwe says SA 'spie' only a witness

Zimbabwe says SA 'spie' only a witness

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By Staff Reporter

THE South African "spy" who was apprehended in Zimbabwe last year was not under arrest but was being held for "questioning", it was reported on Tuesday.

Zimbabwe's director of public prosecutions in the office of the attorney general, Joseph Musakwa, said the 48-year-old man was a witness, contradicting earlier reports which claimed he was a top spy in an espionage network.

"He (the South African) is a witness and is still giving testimony. Why would a witness be under arrest?" Musakwa said in an interview with that country's Sunday Mirror newspaper.

On December 15 several prominent Zimbabweans were arrested and charged including Philip Chiyangwa (Zanu-PF's provincial chairperson), Godfrey Dzvairo (Zimbabwe's designated ambassador to Mozambique), Tendai Matambanadzo (a banker) and Itai Marchi (Zanu-PF director of foreign affairs).

Kenny Karidza, security director of Zanu-PF, was also questioned.

The men were later charged with espionage.

The South African "witness" was allegedly lured to Zimbabwe by that country's central intelligence organisation (CIO), where he was apprehended and he allegedly later gave the CIO information that led to the arrest of the other five.

In a trial that took place in camera, Dzvairo was sentenced to six years in prison and Matambanadzo and Marchi to five years each. Chiyangwa was temporarily released but could be charged again later.

Erasmus Moyo, a Zimbabwean diplomat in Geneve, was also allegedly implicated by the five, disappeared from an airport in Switzerland shortly before he could be extradited to Zimbabwe.

Karidza has since objected to the admissibility of certain of the evidence against him.

Musakwa said a trial within a trial was now taking place before any of the espionage charges could be dealt with, the online news service said.

The men allegedly sold political and economic information about Zimbabwe. Chiyangwa allegedly received up to R65 000 a month from his South African handler.

The five apparently also sold some of the top secret decisions taken by Zanu-PF's inner circle.

The man has only been identified as "Andrew Brown". - Sapa
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