The Zimbabwe National Army has refuted reports that members of the armed forces moved in to take charge of Bulawayo Central Business District on Tuesday Morning.

In a statement issued by Zimbabwe National Army Deputy Director of public relations Alex Zuva, the military said the army is currently assisting the Zimbabwe Republic Police in enforcing Coronavirus lockdown regulations.

Zuva further urged members of the press to communicate with the army to get first-hand information.

Read an extract of the statement below:

There was no salary cuts to the soldiers or civil servants. The back pay was communicated when it commenced and it has always been public knowledge that it was going to end in May 2020.

The Army knows that there has always been an agenda to link members of the defence forces with negative issues as part of the calculated regime change agenda. All operations that the Army carries out are sanctioned and in line with its Constitutional mandate which is to ensure the safety of the public and their property. In no circumstance does the Army go about beating innocent civilians as purported in the series of false stories on the so called Bulawayo takeover.

There has been an increase of negative stories of late in which the media has tried to be subversive and capitalise on the hardships that have been caused by the Corona Virus induced lockdown to raise public emotions and anger against the Army and the Government. As a professional Organisation, the Army will always deliver onits constitutional mandate to safeguard the territorial integrity of Zimbabwe.

All media organisations are free to ask for the correct information from the Army and report objectively all the times.

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