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(TALKZIMBABWE) Britain admits Tsvangirai hired 'secret operative'

Britain admits Tsvangirai hired 'secret operative'
By: TH-TZG
Posted: Wednesday, November 24, 2010 3:30 am

BRITAIN'S Ambassador to Zimbabwe yesterday said MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai approached the UK government to second someone from there to give him "technical support".

The Herald newspaper on Monday reported that British intelligence operative Mr Charles Heatly (also known as Charles Beatle) had helped establish parallel government structures in the Prime Minister’s Office. Mr Tsvangirai is PM in the inclusive Government.

Ambassador Mark Canning yesterday said he was aware that Mr Heatly/Beatle was in Zimbabwe under a special scheme managed by Adam Smith International.

Adam Smith International is packaged as a development agency funded by the British government but is understood to work as a think-tank for the UK Foreign and Common-wealth Office and that country’s overseas intelligence service, MI6.

Ambassador Canning said Mr Tsvangirai had asked Britain to assist him with "technical" personnel.

"He (Heatly/Beatle) is doing his job for the purpose he was hired for. Adam Smith International is a renowned British think-tank that provides consultancy work and technical advice.

"He came at the request of Prime Minister Tsvangirai who wanted technical support on individual ministries," said Ambassador Canning.

Ambassador Canning was speaking at a media briefing at the embassy.

The head of the British Department for International Development, Mr Dave Fish, said Adam Smith International was providing technical expert advice to the PM’s Office.

On Monday The Herald reported that Heatly/Beatle entered Zimbabwe last year and briefly worked from Munhumutapa Building.

Thereafter, he is understood to have worked from MDC-T’s offices in Avondale.

Sources said he had worked in countries where Britain had a regime change agenda such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Kenya and Myanmar.

Political analyst and legislator for Tsholotsho North Professor Jonathan Moyo said the presence of British intelligence officers in the PM’s Office was a matter that the other principals to the Global Political Agreement should take up with Sadc.

"This is a serious issue. In light of this situation, we have one party in the inclusive Gover-nment that planted in the State an agent of the illegal regime change agenda.

"This is a serious violation of the GPA. It demonstrates MDC-T’s insincerity and that it had never been committed to the agreement.

"Beatle/Heatly is the one who crafted the 100-Day MDC-T document. He is the author of all the PM’s Government programmes — all the programmes presented in Parliament.

"He is behind the reshuffle of ministers in MDC-T. All the party’s position papers on the constitution were written by this chap.

"As Zanu-PF, we make our mistakes and we believe they are Zimbabwean mistakes.

"As for the MDC-T, their mistakes are British. Imagine a person who did not have a work permit has been getting access to secret and protected Government policy documents and Cabinet discussions at Munhumutapa?

"Where was he taking the information to?" he asked.

At yesterday’s media briefing, Ambassador Canning said Western sanctions on Zimbabwe would remain in force.

"The EU will sit and try to review on how we should handle the restrictive measures in February (next year) — they are not in any way hampering the implementation of the GPA.

"In fact, it’s one in 75 000 people who are being affected by the restrictive measures. . .

"They are not affecting the country’s economy in any way," he charged.

Speaking on the issue of deportation of failed Zimbabwean asylum seekers from the UK, the ambassador claimed it was safer to repatriate people to Iraq and Afghanistan than to Zimbabwe.

Labels: ADAM SMITH INTERNATIONAL, CHARLES HEATLY, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, NEOCOLONIALISM

posted by MrK @ 9:46 PM