President Emmerson Mnangagwa has read the riot act to his errant spokesperson George Charamba after his communication-expert went out of rail by insisting that Mnangagwa was not obligated to release the findings and recommendations of the August 1 inquiry to the public.

Charamba stunned neutrals and critics alike early this week when he appeared to hint that the commission’s findings into the disturbances that led to the death of at least six people, will only be made public at the benevolence of Mnangagwa’s mercy.

He insisted: “There is nothing at law that compels the president to release the report to the public or not to release it to the public. The discretion is his.”

However, in a dramatic U-Turn, Charamba on Tuesday told the State media that his ‘Mnangagwa’s eyes only’ statement had been misread.

The deputy chief secretary to the President and Cabinet responsible for Presidential Communications said the correct position was that Mnangagwa had made an “undertaking that both processes and the outcomes of the commission will be an open affair.

“That was way before the Commissioners had been identified, certainly well before the Commission had been sworn in.

“He does not need any modicum of motivation by twimbos to do the right thing. It’s a decision he took long time ago well before the Commission was constituted.

“That decision and commitment does not trash processes and formalities of receiving and digesting the findings of the Commission. That was the gist of my intervention, all of which was conveyed in simple, comprehensible English,”said Charamba.

However, a highly placed source told the Mail & Telegraph that Charamba had backtracked after stepping on the lion’s tail by insinuating that Mnangagwa had room to withhold the contents of the August 1 inquiry report. This gave rise to  implication  that he was reverting to the ways of his predecessor Robert Mugabe who was notorious for withholding reports from Commissions of inquiry.

The suggestion was in sharp contrast to Mnangagwa’s reformist agenda.

The source said Mnangagwa was against the  former Mugabe spokesperson ‘s approach where he believes in aggression.

“He doesn’t understand the essence of smart and soft power. He believes in Mugabe’s hard edged power yet Mnangagwa has projected himself as a reformist,” said the source.

The Commission has said they have up to December 19 to submit the report canvassed from security sector chefs, top government officials, ruling party bigwigs, opposition leaders, civic society organisations, victims and eye-witnesses.

-Mail and Telegraph