ZwNews Chief Correspondent
President Emmerson Mnangagwa who has just returned from the just ended African Union Summit in Addis Ababa Ethiopia, has been lambasted for misleading the delegates telling them that no one was killed by the country’s security forces during and after the recent protests.
Mnangagwa challenged anyone who has been assaulted, whose relative was killed by the security forces to bring evidence. His rejection come few weeks after the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) torched storm for claiming that a video by Sky News showing security forces assaulting a man in handcuffs was shot in 2016. The video caused outcry with the ZRP lying that it was taken in 2016 during similar protests. The police, however, later succumbed to pressure due to gravity of evidence and admitted that the video was indeed taken during the recent protests. The police went on to claim they had identified and arrested the officer who was seen in the video assaulting a handcuffed man.
However, the rejection by the President now contradict the confession by the police that members of the country’s security forces indeed killed civilians.
Meanwhile, critics have roundly taken a swipe at Mnangagwa for telling lies.
Former Vice President of Zimbabwe Joyce Mujuru said; “Shumba haingarambe kuti haina kuuraya mombe iyo ine ropa pamuromo zvekuti munhu wese anenge achiona ropa racho” (A lion can not decline killing a cow when it has blood on its mouth clearly visible for everyone to see that it did).
“Events that happened in Zimbabwe, happened in the public. People saw the events happening , people recorded videos. You can not cover up such things brought up by citizens,” said Mujuru through her twitter handle.
She added that it is not guns which kills people, but it is people themselves that kill.
Responding to the government’s announcement that it has ordered members of the military from wearing uniforms their camouflage outside barracks Mujuru had this to say; “The problem is not about soldiers wearing uniforms outside barracks but it’s about the behavior and the command given to them outside barracks.
“Soldiers follow orders, the one giving orders should be court marshalled, and should take responsibility,” she added.
Renowned author and play writer Tsitsi Dangarembga said was beyond shocked by the denial of rape by President Mnangagwa…, and that the callousness exhibited was mind blowing.
Zimbabwe Yadzoka founder Victor Chimhutu lambasted the AU for failing to reprimand autocratic regimes. “In their shameful solidarity message with ED can’t even mention the perpetrators of violence on unarmed civilians?” He questioned.
“These organizations have reduced themselves into clubs of dictators,” said Chimhutu.
Critics say the absence of alternative voices at the Summit, such as voices from human rights advocacy groups as well as the from the country’s opposition parties, led to Mnangagwa getting away with murder by lying to the delegates.
