By A Correspondent| The owner of a phonenumber seen in a circulating WhatsApp message that says soldiers have mounted guard in Harare, has disowned the rumour.
Speaking to ZimEye Wednesday morning, the man who would not comment further, said he did not at all send out the report.
He hung his phone up soon after dismissing the report.
He was speaking to ZimEye via a direct phone call, not the usual WhatsApp call platform which most Zimbabweans feel safe communicating on.
He told ZimEye, “Haa, ndezvekunyepa – haa, it is all lies,” he said.
He was asked to comment on how it is that his number was used and to this he replied saying, “Vanga vachiforwadhirana forwadhirana, but hapana apa – they were just forwarding each other but nothing like that is happening,” he added.
The unedited WhatsApp message reads in full:
“[28/05, 20:20] [*NUMBER REDACTED]: Maswera sei Hama mangwana zvogona kuipa nezvenyika!!kubva Makoni ndakwira 4 kuuya manyme park machipisa 8 apaa Makoni mapurisa adirwa hobho mumaside mefance makachera makomba anokwana Munhu akabata pfuti zvenguva yehondo zviya ndazoona ndadzika kombi pa st Mary turn of pakazaraa masoja nepuma vamwe vakafararira soo beware for tumoro Hama??
[28/05, 20:20] [05/28, 15:55] +263 71 [*NUMBER REDACTED]: Military at Presidential guard Dz camp roadblock pane zvirikuitika amheno chii??
[05/28, 15:55] +263 71 883 9637 [*NUMBER REDACTED]: Yaaa guys gwarirai military state kuMufakose mugomo rekuna Dekkar ku Zfc kwaiswa tent yeMasoja.”
ZimEye was at pains to obtain a comment from the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and none had been availed at the time of writing.
Meanwhile, the rumour was somewhat made strong by claims by Former Deputy Minister of Finance Terence Mukupe who last week posted a video of two former soldiers who performed the November 2017 coup, saying people who want to remove Emmerson Mnangagwa from power are daydreaming.
On Friday Mukupe claimed the operation would be futile.
“You can’t employ the same strategy twice. Good luck to you daydreamers. We will respond in kind,” Mukupe tweeted referring to the 2017 coup that saw Emmerson Mnangagwa assuming power.