HARARE – In a bizarre claim, former Central Intelligence Organisation high ranking official in President Robert Mugabe’s State secret agents, Gabriel Chaibva says he has obtained information that Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has bribed local independent media.

The former MDC National Executive official Chaibva, who is credited by Zanu-PF for the role he played infiltrating the Movement for Democratic Change leadership from the time the party was formed in 1999, says he is privy to the alleged bribery of local private newspapers by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.  

Once described by Cabinet Minister, and MDC-T Organising secretary Nelson Chamisa as a “certified idiot”, Chaibva named three editors whom he alleges received money in return to give favourable coverage to the MDC-T President and his party.

Chaibva who also played a crucial role in MDC split alleged that The Standard editor, Nevanji Madanhire, Newsday editor, Brian Mangwende and Daily News editor, Stanley Gama received money from the Prime Minister’s Office to give favourable coverage to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and his party the MDC-T.

Another Zanu PF loyalist Goodson Nguni, who is normally labelled “Political Analyst” by State media says he had been closely monitoring the scam, said it is not a secret that the Prime Minister’s office working in what he says “cahoots with private media editors and some western agents” and alleged that a fund to coordinate state of affairs of the private media have been established.

It is alleged that the Prime Minister’s Spokesperson, Mr. Luke Tamborinyoka and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Mr. Jameson Timba are the key point-men in the whole saga.

It is alleged that strategic meetings were held in sports and golf clubs dotted around Harare and in surrounding towns.

By Special correspondent