Mugabe’s spokesman studied in Southend

12:00pm Tuesday 13th May 2008

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A ZIMBABWEAN who lived and studied in south Essex is now running the public relations campaign for dictator Robert Mugabe.

Bright Matonga, 41, who lived in Billericay and Laindon, studied for a degree in media at South East Essex College, in Southend.

Mr Matonga, who lives in Zimbabwe with his wife, is in charge of spin for the regime, which has been accused of abusing human rights and election rigging.

He married Anne Pout, an English woman who worked as an IT manager at Essex County Council, in 1997, and moved into her Billericay home.

They bought a house in Wraysbury Drive, Laindon, where they lived for a few months, before moving to Zimbabwe in 2001.

Anne Matonga, as she is now named, reportedly helped him carry out one of the notorious evictions of white farmers in 2002.

Mr Matonga was a "quiet and friendly" neighbour, according to people in Felsted Road, Billericay.

Shirley Begg, 62, who lives two doors along from his former home, spoke of her shock at seeing Mr Matonga speak for Mugabe on TV.

She said: "It is horrible and I could not believe it.

"At the time I liked them both.

"He was very quiet, but would always smile. Anne was a friendly neighbour. I was very shocked by her actions and don't know what came over her, it was very sad."

When Mr Matonga left the UK in 2001 he spoke fondly of his seven years in Britain.

He now calls the UK "bloodthirsty" and accuses it of trying to overthrow Mugabe by "hurting the economy" with "illegal sanctions".

In 1994 Mr Matonga came to the UK and enrolled on a media production and technology course at South East Essex College, Southend.

Half-way through the four-year program, the UK tried to deport him, after a change in rules for foreign students meant he was no longer eligible to stay.

Then Southend East MP Sir Teddy Taylor persuaded a tribunal to let him remain.

Sir Teddy told the Echo: "He was a nice guy.

"I was aware of his politics at the time, but he always told me the administration was not as bad as people think and the other parties were just as bad."

He said he was surprised how far through the ranks Matonga had climbed, but added: "I hope he can have some influence on Mr Mugabe and tell him to get some more sensible people to take over."

Before going back to Zimbabwe in 2001, he had worked for the BBC World Service.

The college put out a press release before he left saying the former student was to head the ZBC1 and 2 television stations back home, which it called the equivalent of the BBC.