Mugabe's spies monitoring your calls, mail

Mugabe's spies monitoring your calls, mail

MUGABE

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By Staff Reporter

ZIMBABWE'S military spies and communication experts moved into the offices of the country's main fixed line, mailing and mobile phone companies after workers went on strike demanding better pay.

There were heightened fears last night that the state could seize the opportunity to snoop on private communications.

Workers from the state-owned mobile operator Tel One and Zimpost took the industrial action last week after management reneged on paying increments which were promised when an arbitrator was brought in early this year.

A source told New Zimbabwe.com last night: "Communications experts from the army and police are manning the main telephone exchanges and controlling traffic. They can do anything with your phone calls and mail. People need to exercise caution with what they say."

President Robert Mugabe has not made secret his desire to snoop on private communications in a bid to crack down on dissent. The government says the increased use of the internet to mobilise the masses by the opposition has exposed Mugabe's administration to "dot com thugs".

Zimbabwe's Supreme Court thwarted efforts by the government to introduce new laws to monitor e-mails, calling them unconstitutional. Zimbabweans, however, live with the constant fear that the government is using unconventional means to monitor their private communications.

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai last year said he was shocked when President Mugabe repeated almost word for word a conversation he had with British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Last night police were holding three trade unionists over the strike.

The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions umbrella grouping said three members of the Communication and Allied Services Workers Union of Zimbabwe were arrested yesterday in the second city, Bulawayo.

"No reasons for the arrest were given," the ZCTU said in a statement.
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