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Peter Matambanadzo Senior Reporter
Defence Minister Dr Sydney Sekeramayi has dismissed as false, reports that Zimbabwe National Army officers recently descended on Chingwizi Transit Camp and reportedly burnt down displaced Tokwe Mukosi flood victims’ tents.
In an interview on the skirmishes that occurred at the transit camp two weeks ago, which resulted in two police vehicles being burnt by angry villagers, Cde Sekeramayi the army had long left Chigwizi.
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“What the army and the Air Force did was to assist in uplifting marooned villagers to Chingwizi,” said Dr Sekeramayi. “After that operation, the army has played no role at all.
“There is no truth at all that the army is involved in the burning of shelter at Chingwizi. That is not true.”
Cde Sekeramayi said the ZDF was a people-oriented force that always assisted civilians during disasters such as cyclones, famine and disease outbreaks.
“The Tokwe-Mukosi disaster was another testimony of the ZDF’s commitment to assisting the people of Zimbabwe during unfortunate situations such as disasters,” he said.
The Chingwizi holding camp dwellers, mainly women and children, turned violent in protest against plans to relocate a clinic.
Trouble at the holding camp started after camp dwellers blocked Government officials from relocating a temporary clinic to permanent plots about 17 kilometres away.
The angry villagers destroyed the district administrator’s temporary office. The majority of the 3 500 Chingwizi families have been resisting relocation to permanent plots demanding that Government compensate them.
The villagers also denounced Government plans to allocate them one-hectare plots instead of the four hectares they were initially promised.
Police arrested 30 villagers and charged them with public violence. They appeared in court last Friday where they were granted US$30 bail each.
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