Zim MP spied for SA - paper

2005-01-14 12:23

Harare - A Zimbabwean Zanu-PF MP spied for a "South African agent" and was paid US10 000 a month to provide political and economic information, reported the country's state-owned media on Thursday.

This emerged when the court case against Phillip Chiyangwa was moved from Harare magistrate's court to the high court on Thursday and was opened briefly to the public.

The news could sour relations between Zimbabwe and South Africa less than three months before Zimbabweans go to the polls in a general election.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe courts have refused to allow three of Chiyangwa's co-accused to change their pleas from guilty to not guilty.

Among the accused is Zimbabwe's ambassador-designate to Mozambique, Godfrey Dzvairo, Zanu-PF director for external affairs Itai Marchi, and former banking executive Tendai Matambanadzo.

Chiyangwa's lawyer, Chris Andersen, said on Thursday the charge could not be taken as endangering the security of Zimbabwe.

"The failure of the State to particularise the information is futile to the charge. Therefore, the accused should not have been placed on remand," said Andersen.

All the accused have been charged with contravening Zimbabwe's Official Secrets Act, a law that dates back to white minority rule in the then-Rhodesia.

Meanwhile, prosecutors told the court Chiyangwa's "presumption of innocence should not be over-emphasised".

The State said it would call witnesses who "were responsible for paying Chiyangwa", but the case was "extremely sensitive because it involved a neighbouring state".

- SAPA