Zim 'spies' ask for leniency
29/01/2005 16:49  - (SA)  

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Zimbabwe Special Report  Latest Zimbabwe Stories

Harare - Three senior members from Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's ruling party have urged a court to be lenient while trying them for allegedly selling "state secrets" overseas, a daily said on Saturday.

Ambassador-designate to Mozambique, Godfrey Dzvairo, former top bank official Tendai Matambanadzo and Tendai Marchi appeared before a Harare court on Friday and launched "mitigation submissions," the state-run Herald said.

The three were convicted on their first appearance in court in December 24 when they pleaded guilty.

But they did an about-turn and then pleaded not guilty, arguing that their confessions were obtained under duress - which was rejected by the magistrate.

State prosecutor Morgan Nemadire said: "The accused persons are making their mitigation submissions and will be back in court on Thursday for the continual of the submissions."

The scandal erupted when an alleged South African spy was nabbed by Zimbabwe Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) operatives at Victoria Falls and under questioning revealed the names of his collaborators within the governing Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF).

Six senior Zanu-PF members including a member of parliament are accused of taking part in the spy ring that was allegedly providing South African President Thabo Mbeki's government with information on the party's affairs.

Philip Chiyangwa, a provincial Zanu-PF chairman and former Zimbabwe consul-general in South Africa, was arrested in December on charges of selling state secrets.

On Friday, the court remanded him in custody until February 11.

The flamboyant Chiyangwa "appeared to have lost considerable weight" in detention, The Herald said.

The trial started on Thursday. If convicted, the men face up to 20 years in jail and a hefty fine, or both.

Zimbabwe is also holding the alleged South African intelligence agent, whom media reports describe as a white male.

The sixth person allegedly connected to the affair, Zimbabwean diplomat Erasmus Moyo, reportedly escaped while being moved from Geneva to Harare.

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