Cops warn Mujuru for making herself “police spokesperson”

Freeman Razemba, Crime Reporter
POLICE yesterday warned Zimbabwe People First leader Dr Joice Mujuru to desist from making herself, “a police spokesperson”, by quoting fabricated stories from some sections of the media involving the force.

This comes in the wake of sentiments expresed by Dr Mujuru while addressing journalists in Harare where she quoted a message from the ZimEye website, purportedly from Commissioner-General Dr Augustine Chihuri, cautioning police on how to handle demonstrating crowds.

On Tuesday, Dr Mujuru was quoted saying people had a constitutional right to demonstrate and that the police should protect demonstrators.

“I’m sure we heard from ZimEye the message from Commissioner General (Dr Augustine Chihuri) himself when he was cautioning (the police) that they should not do what is not necessary because they are dealing with people who are angry.

“Theirs is just to keep peace not to start problems. Some of the brutalities which they are showing are not supposed to be started at all,” she said.

Addressing journalists yesterday, chief police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba blasted Dr Mujuru for resorting to quoting ZimEye in reference to Comm-Gen Chihuri.

“She should stick to her core business and not quote such fabricated contents from ZimEye without verifying with the police. We expect her to know that social media is subject to manipulation and abuse by people pursuing various agendas.

“She should also desist from making herself a police spokesperson,” she said.

Snr Asst Comm Charamba also dispelled false statements peddled by ZimEye, saying that contrary to their reports, uniformed police were firmly deployed in and around cities and towns countrywide, yesterday.

“Obviously the military is not there because in our assessment, the situation hasn’t deteriorated to warrant the presence of the military,” Snr Asst Comm Charamba said.

She said ZimEye has been publishing a series of false stories involving the force during the last two months.

Snr Asst Comm Charamba said on Monday July 4, the ZimEye website published a fabricated ZRP internal communication signal purportedly dispatched from a Chief Superintendent Manzini-Moyo from Bulawayo.