Zimbabwean military authorities have dissociated the national army from a thieving 32-year old male citizen who was reported in one private-owned daily as having been charged with shoplifting.
The Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) expressed displeasure over what it termed the ‘continued’ publication of falsehoods while responding to a story which appeared in the NewsDay on Wednesday last week that was headlined, “Soldier Up for Shoplifting’.
According to ZNA director public relations, Colonel Alphios Makotore, the accused shoplifter, Sihlazuluking Ndashata (32), is not- and has never been a member of the military.
Col Makotore also implored on journalists to responsibly verify their facts before coming up with stories that are laden with unsubstantiated and damaging information about the country’s security forces.
The military publicist told one state daily that:
““The Zimbabwe National Army would like to put it on record that Sihlazuluking Ndashata is a bogus soldier. The ZNA further reiterates that Sihlazuluking Ndashata is not and has never been a member of the Zimbabwe National Army. He masquerades as a soldier committing crime.”
“The Zimbabwe National Army would like to put it on record that Sihlazuluking Ndashata is a bogus soldier. The ZNA further reiterates that Sihlazuluking Ndashata is not and has never been a member of the Zimbabwe National Army. He masquerades as a soldier committing crimes”.
Adding on, Col Makotore described Sihlazuluking as ‘a bogus soldier who had never been in the military’, before.
“THE Zimbabwe National Army is worried about continuous publication of falsehoods and damaging statements and yesterday dealt with a story saying a soldier had been charged with shoplifting when in fact the man was a bogus soldier who had never been in the military,” said Col Makotore.
As a possible remedy to the publication of falsehoods in the future, Col Makotore passionately implored on journalists to verify facts with his office and the Zimbabwe Military Police.
Meanwhile, military investigations that have been held since the publication of Ndashata’s shoplifting story last week have, according to Col Makotore, shown that the accused also has several pending cases, including theft of service uniforms that he reportedly stole from his cousin, Redeem Ndashata, a member of the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services stationed at Whawha Prison.
Apparently using the same modus operandi to con unsuspecting victims while garbed in his cousin’s service uniforms, the accused allegedly committed various crimes while impersonating a ZPCS officer.
“The army is very much concerned by these continued false assertions that Ndashata is a soldier. If at all these claims are coming from him, then he is a typical case of a bogus person masquerading as a member of the ZNA committing crimes. He must also be charged for impersonation,” the military said.
Zwnews
