Paul Nyathi|State run Herald Newspaper on Wednesday went all out claiming that civil society organisations had lied that a Kadoma man was shot and killed by the army during last month’s citizen protests.
The media claimed that Tinashe Kaitano who appeared in court on charges of public violence on Tuesday had been listed as one of the people who was shot dead by state security officers by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO forum.
Activist Dewa Mavhinga corrected the state media misinformation in a Twitter message on Wednesday indicating that the person listed as killed in the NGO forum list was actually Tafadzwa Muswini and not Kaitano as deliberately misdirected by the state mouthpiece.
“State Media is misinformed, the Kadoma victim who was shot straight in the heart & killed is Tafadzwa Muswini, not Kaitano,” wrote Mavhinga.
The Herald unwarrantedly accused the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) for cooking up figures of people who died during last month’s violence in order to justify President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s claims that nobody was killed by the soldiers during the skirmishes.
Meanwhile, Kaitano (20) was on Tuesday convicted of arson for setting alight a zanu-pf administrative district office in the town.
Kaitano was convicted together with MDC-Alliance Kadoma District chairperson and Ward 2 Councillor Michael Gore.
Kadoma magistrate Tinashe Gwazemba remanded Kaitano and Gore in custody for sentencing tomorrow.
Kaitano and Gore were charged together with businessman Wellington Maketa and Elphigio Mapiriyawo.
Maketa and Mapiriyawo were acquitted after the State failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that they were involved in the violent protests.
Convicting Kaitano and Gore, Mr Gwazemba said public violence is a crime of serious nature.
He said witnesses who testified in court could not have grudgingly lied against the pair.
Mr Gwazemba said Kaitano was positively identified closing shops in Rimuka, barricading roads and uprooting road signs.
Gore is alleged to have threw stones at the zanu-pf Kadoma district party offices.
Ms Gracious Chaminuka prosecuted.