Mugabe Spies?

[Dutch90]

This happened to me a while ago when I went to see Mugabe and the White African. This documentary, largely filmed woth secret cameras, follows a white Zimbabwean farmer as he confronts Mugabe's regime over its racist policies in the light of the 2000 land redistribution acts, which basically mean all white farmers in Zimbabwe have to give up their land. Many of them had their homes raided, their belongings tossed outside. The farmer starring in the film is brutally beaten along with his wife and their son-in-law (did I mention they're in their 70s?).

After the screening, Zimbabwe expert Peter Hermes was present to give a short review of the film and take questions from the audience. Now this isn't just any expert - he's an important personal advisor to opposition leader (and recently appointed Prime Minister) Morgan Tsvangirai, having known him since 1992. If you Google their names together you'll find that Mr. Hermes is frequently quoted as a "close advisor" in articles regarding Tsvangirai or Zimbabwe in general.

Shortly into our talk with Mr. Hermes, a black man (who later revealed himself to be Zimbabwean) stood up from the audience. After declaring in limited Dutch that he preferred to speak in English, he basically started giving a speech, carefully prepared from a paper in his hand. In the speech he talked about the plight of Zimbabweans under British colonialism, and how Mugabe freed Zimbabwe from the British imperialists. At no point did he distance himself from the Mugabe regime's oppressive, violent and totalitarian policies.

Seeing as I figured Zimbabwe wasn't any better off under Mugabe than under British colonialism, I decided to ask the guy what he thought about that. After basically calling me a racist, he resumed his ranting at Hermes, deflecting any intelligent rebuttal from Hermes's part with similar ad-hominem accusations.

After the question round, I talked to Mr. Hermes in the lobby, where he shared his suspicions with me: he figured this apparent Mugabe supporter could have been Zimbabwean intelligence, sent by Mugabe's government to provide a rebuttal to this "anti-Mugabe propaganda".

Now, you may wonder why the hell Mugabe would send one of his "CIA agents" to the screening of some obscure documentary in a Dutch city he probably had never heard of. We shouldn't underestimate the importance of Peter Hermes here. He told me he can't stay in Zimbabwe for more than a week, or the government will get wind of him and have him detained, interrogated and deported. He's had taxis pull up at his hotel at 7 A.M. without ever ordering one. If this guy really was  Zimbabwean secret service, he was probably there because of Hermes.

What struck me was the fact that the guy's ad hominem rebuttal of my question was the exact same B.S. Mugabe and his cronies use whenever a Western reporter manages to ask them a critical question ("Listen, Zimbabwe is no longer a colony of Great Britain").

I know how crazy this all sounds, but I'm willing to trust Peter Hermes's judgement on this one. I think it's very much possible.

[Neltharion]

I don't know much about how Zimbabwe was under British Colonialism, I don't know how worse/better their economy was under British rule and I don't know how the human rights was under British Colonialism but from all the problems that plague the nation of Zimbabwe now, logic tells me that under British Colonialism Zimbabwe was better off than it is now.

I'm not suggesting that it should be under British rule right now nor am I giving them thumbs up for Imperialism.


Its what has always perplexed me about Zimbabwe, its economy is in shambles, almost beyond repair it looks like to me, there is rampant corruption (as is with most of the African continent) and horrid human rights abuses. We don't rule you anymore, you can't keep blaming us for your economy anymore.

Sure we put you at a disadvantage but 20 years ago you were considered "The Jewel of Africa". Mugabe fucked up and he can't blame himself so he blames the British.




Gotta ask, what sort of questions were asked at the Zimbabwean spy?

[Dutch90]

To be honest I don't remember any of the other questions that were asked. Besides mine, there were only a few others which he blathered away just like he did mine.

[Neltharion]

So he basically just went "Hokai, I can't answer your questions in anyway so I'm just going to call you Racist"?

[Dutch90]

So he basically just went "Hokai, I can't answer your questions in anyway so I'm just going to call you Racist"?

Well, not that directly, but that's definitely the manner in which I was responded to. He avoided having to actually answer any questions asked. They were just irrelevant annoyances to his carefully prepared speech.

[Neltharion]

I never meant in that direct sense, but that was the general jist of what he was getting at?

[deezelboy]

I know how crazy this all sounds, but I'm willing to trust Peter Hermes's judgement on this one. I think it's very much possible.

I think it's very likely as well.  The CIO were certainly running a campaign in Britain to disrupt MDC members and supporters prior to the election - can't see why they wouldn't be in other countries as well, doing much the same thing.

[Neltharion]

Woah, there were Mugabe spies in Britain?

Why on earth would they be there?

(Silly question but its genuine)

[deezelboy]

Zimbabwe has strong historical links to Britain, so if you're fleeing the Zanu-PF regime you're likely to try and seek asylum in Britain.  So it makes a lot of sense to send CIO operatives there - I think in 2008 there were some 4,000 MDC members in the UK, and as a result it becomes a hub of fund-raising and activism which the CIO wishes to disrupt as much as possible.  There's also some indication that some CIO officers work in the UK asylum/detention centres to identify dissidents, so any 'trouble makers' not getting asylum are picked up as soon as they're deported back to Harrare. 

[Neltharion]

Wow, you would think that MI5 would be all over this wouldn't you?

[Dutch90]

I think the CIO are smart enough to remain within legal bounds when on foreign soil - they know what they can and can't do.

MI5 are probably doing their own share of disrupting though, I'll tell you that!

[Neltharion]

I think most Government agencies probably are

[Dutch90]

I think most Government agencies probably are

Hm, you're right. In retrospect that was a bit of a dumb statement 

[Dutch90]

I never meant in that direct sense, but that was the general jist of what he was getting at?

Yes.