Correspondent|OPPOSITION politician and former Vice President of Zimbabwe Joice Mujuru has demanded that President Emmerson Mnangagwa take responsibility for civilians assaulted by State security agents during the clampdown on protesters in January.

Mujuru further said the President should be court marshalled as he was “the one giving orders” to the soldiers.

Responding to the news that soldiers are no longer allowed to wear camuflage in towns and other public places, Mujuru said: “The problem is not about soldiers wearing uniforms outside barracks but it’s about the behavior/the command given to them outside barracks.

“Soldiers follow orders, the one giving orders should be court marshalled, the Commander-in-Chief should take responsibility.”

Her statement came a day after President Mnangagwa in an interview on France24 TV questioned the genuineness of some reported murders and rape cases, as victims never came forward to report.

He said if victims did not trust the police, they could also take their cases to community leaders such as church elders who would find them help.

But Mujuru was not amused.

“Shumba haingarambe kuti haina kuuraya mombe iyo ine ropa paromo zvekuti munhu wese anenge achiona ropa racho.

“Events that happened in Zimbabwe, happened in the public. People saw the events happening , people recorded videos. You can’t cover up such things brought up by citizens.”

Mnangagwa dismissed the reports as stage managed. He told the France24 TV anchor: “It is all stage managed. We are challenging anybody, anybody local or foreign to produce the women so that the world can see them, and say this is what happened. We would want to see those.

“And with regard to the other issue that you have mentioned about the beatings, killings… you say a [extra]judicial killings. This is where the army is directly and purposely killing people… we would want to see evidence; we see all this on social media. But we would want to see evidence where the 17 people were killed. Where were they buried?”