President Robert Mugabe yesterday declared his personal security was in the safe hands of the security services that have managed to detect all potential threats to his long-time rule.
BY OBEY MANAYITI
Addressing mourners at the burial of the late senior intelligence officer, Zenzo Ntuliki, at the National Heroes Acre, Mugabe said he was always vigilant to avoid being snared by his enemies.
In apparent reference to the ongoing factional fights within Zanu PF over his succession, Mugabe boasted that the Central Intelligence Organisation always kept him on the loop of goings on.
Mugabe recently saved Zanu PF national commissar Saviour Kasukuwere who was facing charges of creating parallel structures meant to topple him. The 93-year-old leader who dispatched a team led by Speaker of the National Assembly, Jacob Mudenda to Mashonaland Central to probe the allegations against Kasukuwere, reportedly demanded proof that his national commissar was working against him.
Mugabe yesterday said he was always advised on where to step to avoid traps set by his enemies.
“Our experts [CIO] have ears and eyes. They have information and tell us where to step to avoid snakes [enemies] which can bite us,” Mugabe said.
He said even after getting positions at the party’s congress, he still relied on the CIO for detection of any threat to his personal security.
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“We are given experts with eyes that see things which are too far and ears which hear all what is being said. This is how we live as leaders. Haungovhaira uchiti zvandakasarudzwa kucongress zvakwana [you do not just boast and relax on the strength of your election at congress],”Mugabe said.
He said the intelligence unit, worked with other security arms such as police and the army to defend the nation.
Mugabe said the nation must enjoy all its rights to the fullest and not let outsiders have an influence on its rights.
“We should not be denied that by any other nation. They want to exploit our resources, our gold, our diamonds to have our land for agriculture to grow what we desire and to manage the country as a whole, as a nation. What we have described as being masters of our destiny,” he said.
In his more than one hour long speech, Mugabe constantly praised his security establishment.
“Our security services are the defenders of our lives. Defenders of our joy I mentioned earlier. The joy that we have has to be defended again internally. There are backbiters in this country. This is why we say we have the defense forces. These uniforms are not just for putting on,” he said while emphasizing that when duty calls, the security forces would always act.
Mugabe also took a swipe at criminals saying police must do their job and arrest them so that they are jailed.
The late Ntuliki served in many different positions in the CIO.
He rose through the ranks from being a junior member of the close security unit department in the early 1980s to be assistant director in the Western Region responsible for Matabeleland South and North, Bulawayo, Masvingo and Midlands provinces.
