{{Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe has offered a $300,000 reward to anyone who can unmask an anonymous whistleblower behind a string of leaks about alleged Zimbabwean government assassination plots, corruption and plans to rig this month\u2019s election.}}<\/p>\n
The well-informed mole, who calls himself \u201cBaba Jukwa\u201d and appears to be operating from within the heart of the regime, began posting revelations on a Facebook page four months ago.<\/p>\n
The page has been viewed more than a million times and he has amassed more than 239,000 followers, with hundreds of responses and shares to every update. Efforts to track down the mole have so far failed. His postings have accused government ministers of corruption and senior police chiefs of brutality, publishing their private mobile telephone numbers.<\/p>\n
Reassuring government statements about 89-year-old Mr Mugabe\u2019s health have been contradicted regularly, so infuriating the president that he offered the reward for exposing the mole \u2013 details of which were revealed by Baba Jukwa.<\/p>\n
Determined attempts by senior Zanu-PF party officials to persuade Facebook to close the page failed and the president has now reportedly appealed to friends in the Chinese government for technical support to censor the site and identify its user.<\/p>\n
The most unnerving postings by the mole \u2013 or moles, as seems more likely \u2013 were published last month and warned of an assassination plot against a former government minister who was suspected by Zanu-PF of leaking information.<\/p>\n
Edward Chindori-Chininga was then killed in a car crash shortly after publicly criticising Zimbabwe\u2019s controversial diamond industry. \u201cI told you there will be body bags coming this year\u2026 The war has begun,\u201d Baba Jukwa posted on his wall after the politician\u2019s death.<\/p>\n
According to reports, the minister died when his car hit a tree, and no other vehicle was involved. Opponents of Mr Mugabe in the past have died in similar unexplained road accidents.<\/p>\n
The advent of social media in Zimbabwe, which has dramatically influenced political events elsewhere in the world, is predicted to have a significant impact on elections due to be held on July 31.<\/p>\n
Most access to the internet is via mobile telephones, with more than six million users having direct access in a country with a population of 10 million.<\/p>\n
Zimbabweans who follow Baba Jukwa \u2013 who signs each update with \u201cAsijiki\u201d which means \u201cWe do not retreat\u201d in the local language Shona \u2013 say they now have unfettered access to information they have always wanted but were in fear of having.<\/p>\n
Under the nation\u2019s sweeping security laws, it is an offence to undermine the authority of the president and national security apparatus.<\/p>\n
{Agencies}<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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