This correspondence is in response to your media reports as published in ZimEye and NewsDay online publications over the Easter weekend. Your reporters’ allegations and claims are unfounded and blatant lies. These are typical examples of the fake news that the presidency has been condemning recently.
https://twitter.com/ZimEye/status/1251024341342576640?s=19
ZimEye reporter, Farai Dziva’s story alleged that “Police officers and soldiers assaulted residents of the city of Masvingo and stopped them from getting into town to buy mealie-meal.”
NewsDay Weekender reporter, Garikai Mafirakureva, also posted that “Chiredzi residents are now living in fear of army brutality as soldiers patrolling the streets late at night are beating up people and taking some of them to unknown destinations.”
These two stories lack merit on the basis that the alleged victims and/or complainants are not identified. The Army and the Police have always reminded any members of the public to report such incidents. In these instances there are virtually no police reports which casts a lot of doubts about the authenticity of Dziva’s and Mafirakureva’s reports.
https://twitter.com/Jamwanda2/status/1250013699747840000?s=19
The correct position is that the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) has deployed troops in the two (2) towns of Chiredzi and Masvingo but they are not conducting any foot patrols. They strictly remain vehicle-borne throughout hence they do not have direct contact with members of the public.
It, therefore, boggles the mind as to which ZNA soldiers are alleged to be beating up people and abusing the residents of these two (2) urban areas when there are no foot patrols to assist the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP).
Furthermore, the picture used in both publications is an old one captured sometime last year when the troops were on one of their routine physical training exercises, that is, road-runs.
Please be advised to observe professional journalism ethics and try to avoid peddling fake news which by and large exposes your hidden agendas and equally embarrasses your respective organisations.
The ZNA, therefore, dismisses these fake news reports as complete nonsense.
Alphios Makotore
Lieutenant Colonel Director Army Public Relations