Intruders broke into the heavily-guarded Borrowdale residence of Defence minister Sydney Sekeramayi in the early hours of Friday, The Standard can reveal.
By Everson Mushava
Police confirmed the incident and have since launched an investigation into the bizarre break-in.
“Yes, there was a break-in and police are investigating the case,” national police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said yesterday.
According to sources, the intruders stole a suit which they later dropped after police manning the property pursued them.
It was not immediately clear how the suspects could have entered the heavily-guarded property with suspicion rife in Zanu PF circles that the break in could be politically linked, especially after it came a few weeks after Sekeramayi’s name was dropped in the Zanu PF succession race.
Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo, who is believed to be a key member of a Zanu PF faction, G40, battling with Team Lacoste in the ruling party’s fluid succession wars, attacked Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, saying he was not the best person to advance the “national project” while showering Sekeramayi with praises.
Moyo was giving a lecture at a Sapes Trust policy dialogue when he pulled a shocker by publicly naming Sekeramayi as Mugabe’s possible successor while berating Mnangagwa, who has been dominating the succession race.
The dropping of Sekeramayi’s name immediately triggered speculation that G40, which has been operating without a leader had settled for the Mashonaland East stalwart as the faction’s leader.
The succession conundrum was made worse when Mugabe, while addressing a youth rally in Marondera, the Mashonaland East capital a day latter, chastised party bigwigs whom he accused of splitting the party on tribal lines declaring that they would not subject themselves to a zezuru leader, an attack widely seen as targeting Lacoste that has a strong Karanga rooting.
Zimbabwe has recorded several break-ins at ministers’ offices as Zanu PF factional wars turn nasty.
Mnangagwa’s Justice ministry offices at the New Government Complex were broken into in 2016 for the second time after the same happened in 2014 when he was appointed VP. Cyanide poisoning was reported at the first break in and his secretary was hospitalised.
Police did not disclose the findings of investigations into the two cases.
Moyo’s office was also broken into last year and a lot of documents were reportedly stolen.
An unknown brown substance was reportedly sprinkled on Moyo’s chair. Offices of principal directors in Moyo’s ministry were also broken into.
In January 2015, burglars also tried to enter then Transport minister, Obert Mpofu’s offices without success.
Sports minister Makhosini Hlongwane received a live bullet in his hotel room after nasty factional fights broke out in Midlands where he was being accused of dumping Team Lacoste.-AMH
