The document, which was circulated last month before the recent smear campaign on MDC officials, was obtained from a usually reliable source and some of its plans are already underway.

Already, a sting operation against MDC secretary general Tendai Biti is underway. CIO has asked Econet to intercept Biti's cellphone and provide a call log. Already he has been accused of having a fling with a married woman. He is instituting legal action against one state newspaper that made the sensational claims.

There is another elaborate strategy against the Prime Minister, who remains single following his wife's death two years ago. The document outlines a plan to use women as bait.

Zanu (PF) spokesman Rugare Gumbo declined to comment on "rubbish". "I am not interested in talking about something that is not ours. I do not want counter-intelligence where you produce your own documents and want us to comment on it," he said.

The document outlines a plan to thoroughly investigate and systematically harass and mentally torture the MDC until they are "destabilised, until they give in and give up." It also says: "The opposition should be systematically infiltrated with highly paid people to cause infighting."

Strategies outlined in the document include negative press reporting and the disappearance without trace of "sell-outs" in rural areas.

The document promises "rewards" if MDC is brought to its knees and says there will be no prosecution for politically motivated crimes. It also proposes more funding for the Zanu (PF)-backed Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions to undermine the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, and proposes parallel NGOs to counter Zimbabwe's vocal civil society.

By The Zimbabwean