By Bradshaw Muzanenhamo | President Emmerson Mnangagwa, has set up a parallel intelligence agency meant to counter his deputy, General Chiwenga. According to sources within his covert agency, the structures were established immediately after he took office in 2017, a clear sign that he had no intentions to hand over power any time soon.
Leading this shadowy network, nicknamed the Zvigure, is Vongai Manungo, a former ZANU-PF party operative with questionable motives and a treacherous agenda.
The Zvigure operates outside the norms of Zimbabwe’s Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) and government intelligence apparatus, focusing their efforts on a rather conspicuous target: Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.
Manungo, whose ascent within the party ranks was marked by her proximity to prominent figures, is believed to wield substantial influence. As head of the Zvigure, she recruits operatives from the police and the military, including specialists from the Special Services Department (SAS) and even the disgraced CIO.
Her recruitment strategy is as brazen as it is effective, drawing on a roster of individuals who share a vested interest in both protecting their positions and tangling with the Vice President.
Rumors swirl that Manungo played a hand in the recent wave of “mysterious” illnesses that have afflicted high-ranking officials, including ministers and generals.
Whispers of her involvement in poisoning incidents have raised eyebrows and given rise to chilling paranoia among those navigating the treacherous waters of Zimbabwean politics.
The list of deceased and ailing leaders appears to be a testament to her potentially lethal operations. Chiwenga, with his growing distrust of the government’s conventional intelligence channels, must now grapple with a reality fraught with betrayal.
But why did Mnangagwa opt for this insidious approach?
The answer lies in a jigsaw puzzle of ambition, paranoia, and fractured loyalties. The president, knows that he is un electable and is quite aware that Zimbabweans wouldn’t want him to hang on to power.
Unlike, Mugabe, who at least had the backing of the CIO and the police, Mnangagwa is isolated with all the security apparats wanting the back of him. The irony that he is employing an unregulated faction to manage his affairs, in contrast to the well-resourced intelligence agencies at his disposal, illustrates a breakdown of faith in the very structures he once helped establish.
Moreso, ED has gone to create for ‘ED’ affiliates, parallel ZANU PF structures bent on keeping him in office even beyond the constitutional limit.
The Zvigure’s operations are suspected to be concentrated in Belvedere, a neighbourhood teeming with machinations and plots.
As the shadowy brigade of spies gathers intel on Chiwenga documenting every interaction, conspiring against his allies, and undermining his influence the Vice President stands on precarious ground.
Vongai Manungo’s machinations threaten to spiral into violence as old grievances resurface, painted by suspicions between comrades-turned-rivals.
The president’s clandestine dealings serve as both a shield and a sword, wielding the promise of power while suffocating the ideals upon which the nation was built.
Manungo was contacted for a comment.