CIO wants Tsvangirai out of mansion

via CIO wants Tsvangirai out of mansion – The Zimbabwean 29 January 2015

The Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) is leading renewed efforts to eject Morgan Tsvangirai from the state-owned Highlands mansion he is occupying.

The MDC President was given the house during the 2009-2013 Government of National Unity (GNU) while he was prime minister. He was removed from that position after the disputed July 2013 elections.

Sources from President Robert Mugabe’s office told The Zimbabwean that CIO efforts to remove Tsvangirai were torched by recent debate on where to house Phelekezela Mphoko, one of the two vice presidents appointed in December.

Since then Mphoko has been living in hotels. He initially stayed at the Meikles Hotel but left when he was involved in an accident recently, according to the sources. He is now occupying a presidential suite on the eighth floor of the Rainbow Towers. This reporter observed him moving in and out of the hotel on Friday in the company of about six aides.

“The intelligence department is querying why VP Mphoko is staying in a hotel when Tsvangirai is living in a government mansion. There has been a suggestion that Tsvangirai must be removed immediately and improvements made quickly so that the new VP can move in.

“The suggestion has been made to VP Mphoko and he and his wife have asked for time to consider it. If they have not done that yet, they will soon visit the place but they already have pictures of the house,” said one of the sources.

Critical of Mugabe

The spy agency is reportedly irked that Tsvangirai is said to be failing to maintain the house due to financial problems he is facing and continues to be critical of Mugabe.

The CIO bosses are said to be insisting that Tsvangirai must not be given the option to buy the house and have reportedly frustrated the MDC-T president’s efforts to meet with Mugabe to discuss the matter.

George Charamba, Mugabe’s personal spokesperson, has stated in the past that the house remains government property. Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo, under whose ministry state properties fall, agreed that Tsvangirai must now move out, even though not necessarily to give way to Mphoko.

The minister was not responding to calls from last week, but another said: “Chombo is of the view that Tsvangirai is taking too long to get out and, worse, it does not look like he has the money to buy the house even if he is given first preference.”

He said Mugabe was expected to make a decision after returning from his annual holiday on Thursday, adding that the issue might be discussed in cabinet as well. Luke Tamborinyoka, Tsvangirai’s spokesperson, said he would need to check on the renewed attempts to evict his boss.

“Let me find out what is happening and then come back to you. I am not aware of the plot to eject President Tsvangirai,” he said, but did not revert with his findings.

The CIO bosses are currently investigating the controversy surrounding reported double dipping by Tsvangirai, as a way of strengthening their case to remove the opposition leader.

Tsvangirai has in the past been accused of receiving money from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) and treasury for the purchase of the house, but no concrete evidence has so far been found to incriminate him.

Government bought the H-shaped mansion with a guest house in 2007 from South Africa-based Justin Davenport for $800,000 and renovated it for $1.5 million. The Prime Minister was housed there after Mugabe refused to allow him to occupy State House, which was vacant after the President shifted to his Borrowdale house.