Zimbabweans across the political divide has been drawn into a debate after a message purportedly from the Ministry of Defence aimed at President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa was signed out with ‘May his Soul Rest In Peace statement.’
The message began well, wishing President Mnangagwa a Happy 82nd Birthday.
Apparently, it is the ending which has gotten Zimbabweans talking, with some questioning the type of mistake.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information Publicity and Broadcasting Services Nick Mnangagwa questioned the source of the message, attaching what he said was the message from the Ministry of Defence.
He called for an apology from those who would have been involved in sharing the message.
“An apology at this point would have gone a long way,” he said supposedly referring to Advocate Fadzayi Mahere who posted the on Twitter inviting Mangwana to clarify the matter.
Former Foreign Affairs minister Walter Mzembi says such mistakes though do happen, they are very rare and costly.
Mzembi says attention to detail is very important in all government correspondence.
He writes:
“At some stage , an Air Zimbabwe Menu was handed to President Mugabe with an expensive blunder of this nature;
It read ” Chimukuyu neD_od_i ” instead of Chimukuyu neDovi ”
This “RIP” is clearly another of those expensive mistakes which beats an entire system in proof reading!
Whilst the Mugabe one was a nasty joke this Mnangagwa one spells doom.
Attention to detail is supercritical across Government we are not only losing the messaging but millions and millions of dollars in purchases that do not check detail; computer servers being bought by Parliament for $1500000 each where they cost $4500 or less and most recently where the Country lost $100million in a “Zecgate” Scandal still unresolved to this day.”
