A top official from Zimbabwe’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) was heading home from South Africa on Tuesday after she was exposed a day earlier as a media mole in the ongoing power sharing talks. The dramatic ouster of Theresa Makone, a controversial figure and MP-elect for the MDC faction led by Morgan Tsvangirai, came after negotiators from ZANU PF and the two MDC factions took a decision to feed her false information after having suspected her of leaking details of the secretive talks to the international media. The chief negotiators from the main parties, sources say, entered into a pact to brief Makone that the talks had collapsed over ZANU PF’s inflexibility, and that ZANU PF negotiators Patrick Chinamasa and Nicholas Goche were flying back to Harare to consult with President Mugabe. The story was “a rope to let her hang herself, a complete dummy”, one diplomatic source said. Within minutes, the fake story had been “sold” to international news agencies, despite the parties signing up to a media blackout during the crunch talks being held under the facilitation of President Thabo Mbeki in Pretoria.

New Zimbabwe.com understands the dramatic mole hunt was initiated at the behest of Tendai Biti, the MDC-Tsvangirai’s secretary general who was incensed with what appeared to be leaks coming from his own party. A diplomatic source said: “Biti showed strong leadership. As guests of a foreign government, the MDC must show it is ready to govern by swiftly moving to control unruly elements that can cause tremendous damage to the integrity of the party and its leadership.” Makone, the head of the MDC-T’s women’s wing and MP-elect for Harare North, is at the talks as one of two “support officers”, with MDC-T national chairman Lovemore Moyo. The party is represented by Biti and Elton Mangoma around the negotiating table, while Welshman Ncube and Priscilla Misihairabwi take part as representatives of the MDC faction led by Arthur Mutambara. Their support officers are Miriam Mushayi and Moses Mzila Ndlovu. The Associated Press appeared to profit first from the leaking of the false information. The news agency’s story was soon picked up by the world media – including the BBC which had quotations on its website from its own MDC sources suggesting the talks had broken down over ZANU PF’s insistence (false) that Tsvangirai would be a third Vice President in an envisaged unity government. The Associated Press, again quoting MDC sources, said ZANU PF negotiators Chinamasa and Goche were on their way back to Harare “to consult with President Robert Mugabe”. The story was fake.

New Zimbabwe.com understands Makone was asked to leave the talks – a major blow to her reputation after she caused fissures within the party when she was thrust as chair of the women’s wing in place of Lucia Matibenga – a very unpopular move within the party and its trade union movement supporters where Matibenga has her political base. Teresa’s husband, Ian, is a key adviser to Morgan Tsvangirai who has stood by the couple as senior figures in the party warned him to act against the wealthy couple, also thought to be his one-time financiers. President Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Mutambara all signed a historic memorandum of understanding last week which prohibits the parties from talking to the media in any detail about the talks. The talks between Zimbabwe’s major political parties were initiated by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) over a year ago amid rising political tensions. The talks assumed greater meaning when Tsvangirai pulled out of a presidential election runoff on June 27, citing violence against his supporters. The African Union – while giving Mugabe guarded support after his one-man election – instructed him to form a unity government with the MDC, saying no one party could govern alone. The resolution has since received the backing of the African Union. The talks are scheduled to last two weeks, which means the first details could emerge on or around August 4. No reaction was immediately available from Makone, or the MDC-T last night. A South African government spokesman confirmed the talks were still on, and was unaware of any problems.

(Source)