Mugabe's spies blamed for rise of opposition

Five directors of Zimbabwe's spy agency and several juniors are to be removed for failing to predict the opposition surge in the elections that almost defeated President Robert Mugabe's party.

Five directors of Zimbabwe's spy agency and several juniors are to be removed for failing to predict the opposition surge in the elections that almost defeated President Robert Mugabe's party.

Authoritative sources said the forced retirements and the Central Intelligence Organisation's shake-up had been precipitated by the agency's failure to monitor and inform theGovernment correctly about the activities of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) before landmark elections in June.

Sources said the intelligence organisation had predicted that the MDC would win between 15 and 20 seats at most, but the opposition movement nearly defeated the ruling Zanu-PF party by winning 57 of the 120 contested seats.

"What we are seeing at the CIO now is the culmination of a major shake-up of the organisation, which started with the removal of minister Sydney Sekeramayi and his replacement with Nicholas Goche in July. The feeling is that major changes are necessary to give new impetus to the CIO," said one source.