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Mxolisi Ncube

Chronicle Reporter
ONE of the two discredited journalists behind the Baba Jukwa saga unmasked by anonymous hackers last weekend, Mxolisi Ncube, made use of his extensive contacts within the police force to gather information which he then twisted to defame senior government officials, we can reveal.
Ncube, who was previously a police sergeant based in Bulawayo before fleeing Zimbabwe under unclear circumstances, made use of contacts he acquired during his time in the police force including his media stint with the police publication, Outpost Magazine, to gather information on the activities and whereabouts of politicians and senior government officials which then allowed him to purport to be in different parts of the country at various and sometimes the same time when in fact he was in Pretoria, South Africa, where he has been resident since 2007.

Apparently working in cahoots with some rogue police officers who served as his informants, Ncube and his sidekick, Mkhululi Chimoio, managed to get detailed information about government and Zanu-PF events and would then issue accurate information on their Facebook page creating the illusion that Baba Jukwa was a senior official in attendance.

In some instances, pictures would be taken to give credence to the Baba Jukwa propaganda about his fictitious role and imaginary status in government and Zanu-PF.
In a chilling case, documents seen by this newspaper show that Ncube’s connections with rogue police officers took on a violent turn that is likely to cause concern to the security services.

This is an internet chat between  Sahwira waBaba Jukwa (Chimoio) and Baba Jukwa (Ncube) during which Ncube boasted of his links to a shadowy group calling itself the Gunda-Nleya Brigade, which Ncube said was made up of rogue former security operatives:

“Let’s fight on, have you ever heard of Gunda-Nleya Brigade, a movement of former security forces? Yes they are here to stay n’ deal with all. Yesterday they striked succeful (sic) somewhere yes I am happy,” Ncube bragged in an apparent reference to acts of sabotage that had been carried out by the group inside the country.

A quick internet search shows that the group has some form of organisational structure and boasts a Facebook following of nearly 7,000.
On its Facebook page, the shadowy group claims that, “Gunda Nleya Brigade has been founded by 100 members of Zimbabwe’s Security Forces to protect our brothers and sisters from JOC-sponsored violence, expose corruption from within the ranks and professionalise our institutions. Read our manifesto below…”

The group’s manifesto goes on to list 10 objectives including a desire to fight what they describe as “JOC-sponsored mercenaries.”
In a Facebook post on July 30, 2013, on the eve of the harmonised general elections, the group posted a chilling threat to General Constantine Chiwenga, the ZDF Commander, saying, “FREEDOM! I am angry, excited, hopeful and proud. I feel like I can conquer the world on my own today. Chiwenga, I will be the one to deal with you personally, WITH MY OWN HANDS. Nothing can get in between me avenging the assassination of my father, which you ordered. Vapanduki, see you all in heaven.”

These revelations are in addition to documents which showed another group of apparently disgruntled former security agents seeking to raise over $30 million to wage a guerrilla struggle against the Zanu-PF government.

While there has been speculation that the intelligence services were behind the hacking operation that saw Baba Jukwa lose control of the [email protected] email account, which he was using to communicate with collaborators as well as collect financial donations, none of the security services has come out to confirm or deny these allegations.

It remains unclear how the authorities will respond to these increasingly troubling revelations with analysts saying inaction by the authorities would set the wrong precedent by suggesting that lawlessness in cyberspace is beyond the long arm of the law.

Meanwhile, the Chronicle has gathered that the group of computer hackers who unmasked Baba Jukwa is apparently based in New Zealand.