A
report
from
the
United
Kingdom-based
investigative
publication Dug
Up has
claimed
that
Zimbabwe’s
Central
Intelligence
Organisation
(CIO)
considered
eliminating
opposition
leader
Nelson
Chamisa
in
2020,
with
the
plan
to
frame
the
death
as
a
consequence
of
the
coronavirus.
According
to
the
report,
Chamisa,
who
narrowly
lost
the
2018
presidential
election
to
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa,
was
identified
by
CIO
operatives
as
the
primary
threat
to
ZANU
PF’s
long-standing
grip
on
power.
The
report
also
alleges
a
plot
within
the
agency
to
have
former
CIO
Director-General
Isaac
Moyo
removed
from
his
post
in
2020,
just
over
two
years
after
his
appointment
by
Mnangagwa.
Moyo,
who
had
previously
served
as
Zimbabwe’s
ambassador
to
South
Africa,
was
reportedly
seen
as
more
of
a
diplomat
than
an
intelligence
operative.
According
to
the
Dug
Up
report,
Moyo’s
subordinates
advised
Mnangagwa
that
his
leadership
of
the
CIO
could
jeopardize
his
presidency,
and
suggested
that
Moyo
be
relieved
of
his
duties.
The
report
further
claims
that
Moyo
was
criticized
for
his
refusal
to
authorize
the
elimination
of
Chamisa
and
other
political
figures
deemed
“problematic”.
He
was
described
by
some
within
the
agency
as
“too
nice”
to
lead
the
CIO.
Reads
part
of
the
report:
As
early
as
2020,
Mnangagwa
received
reports
that
claimed
Moyo
was
a
nice
but
ineffective
DG.
One
such
report,
dated
February
15,
2021,
claimed
Moyo
had
turned
down
two
projects/operations
that
suggested
using
the
COVID-19
pandemic
as
a
smokescreen
to
kill
opposition
candidates
including
Nelson
Chamisa.Dug
Up
understands
the
proposal
came
from
the
operative
division
of
the
CIO
and
suggested
that
the
elimination
of
opposition
actors
could
be
hidden
behind
the
pandemic.The
DG
refused
to
authorise
the
operations.
His
juniors
wrote
a
report
saying
he
was
too
nice
to
lead
the
CIO.Moyo
found
out
and
in
a
heated
internal
JOC
meeting
blasted
his
juniors.
Provincial
directors
who
sat
in
that
meeting
told
Dug
Up
it
was
explosive
and
Isaac’s
deputies
flat
out
told
him
“You
are
not
an
Operative.”
According
to
Dug
UP,
amongst
many
reforms
Moyo
brought
to
the
CIO,
operatives
reportedly
did
not
take
kindly
to
him
demanding
that
they
surrender
their
identity
cards
before
knocking
off
to
reduce
cases
of
abuse.
Moyo
is
also
reported
to
have
demanded
reports
for
any
case
of
excess
force
and
barred
the
carrying
of
weapons.
In
January
2025,
Mnangagwa
removed
Moyo
from
his
post
and
replaced
him
with
Fulton
Mangwanya,
who
had
been
the
Zimbabwe
Parks
and
Wildlife
Management’s
director-general
since
August
1,
2017.