More suspects in Zim spy probe
02/01/2005 22:01  - (SA)  

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Harare - At least two Cabinet ministers in Zimbabwe are suspected of passing official secrets to Western intelligence agencies seeking to spy on President Robert Mugabe's government, the state Sunday Mail reported.

The newspaper, a main government mouthpiece, said security authorities were closing in on several top ruling-party and government officials believed to have divulged confidential information to "hostile intelligence agencies," including the US Central Intelligence Agency and Britain's MI5.

It said Zimbabwe security authorities were investigating at least two Cabinet ministers and another lawmaker who had access to high-level government and ruling-party meetings and who may have given information to foreign-based Zimbabwean officials, who sold it.

"The officials would receive handsome payments from enemy agencies," the Sunday Mail said.

The paper said Erasmus Moyo, a diplomat at the Zimbabwe embassy in Geneva, disappeared after the arrest last month of a prominent ruling-party politician and four others on allegations of spying.

It said Moyo, who was being recalled to Harare, checked in for a homeward bound flight but then slipped away from colleagues escorting him to Geneva airport.

Philip Chiyangwa, a prominent lawmaker; Godfrey Dzvairo, the country's ambassador-designate to neighbouring Mozambique; and three other ruling-party officials were charged last week in a Harare court under the Official Secrets Act.

The men face a fine or a maximum 20 years in prison.

Chiyangwa is a legislator for the parliamentary district of Chinhoyi, 120km northwest of Harare, and one of 10 ruling-party provincial chairmen.

Chiyangwa, a wealthy businessman known for his flamboyant lifestyle amid an economic crisis that has left 80% of the population in poverty, was detained in March on corruption and perjury allegations.

He was acquitted on those charges.

Zimbabwe has repeatedly accused Britain and the United States of backing Mugabe's opponents and working toward his ouster through "regime change."

The ruling party suffered deep divisions last year over Mugabe's autocratic style of rule.

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