President Mnangagwa Appoints Mutasa As Deputy Director Of The CIO
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has appointed Patrick Donald Mutasa as Deputy Director-General of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO). This decision is believed to be an attempt to increase his control over the intelligence agency.
Mnangagwa’s grip on the CIO is essential to his efforts to consolidate and retain power, particularly with the upcoming elections and the possibility of internal sabotage.
Mnangagwa’s relationship with CIO Director-General Isaac Moyo is reportedly deteriorating, and some of the agency’s top officials are viewed as ineffective or compromised by political factionalism, according to The News Hwaks.
Mnangagwa’s appointment of Mutasa, who previously served as the director of administration, is reportedly aimed at taking away some of the responsibilities from those who have fallen out of favour and assigning them to loyalists.
According to The News Hawks, there are rumours within the Zimbabwean intelligence community that CIO Director-General Isaac Moyo is viewed with suspicion by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, despite his loyalty to the president. This suspicion reportedly stems from Moyo’s recent support of Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Chairperson Priscilla Chigumba, with whom Mnangagwa allegedly has a strained relationship.
Mnangagwa and his allies allegedly wanted to sabotage the delimitation process, leading to a fallout between the president and Chigumba.
The CIO, police, and army play a critical role in Zimbabwean elections and have previously played important roles in ZANU PF’s election campaigns.
Mnangagwa has also assigned retired Brigadier-General Walter Tapfumaneyi to lead Forever Associates of Zimbabwe (Faz), an alleged underground operational unit campaigning for Mnangagwa and ZANU PF in the August general elections.
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