SOME alleged members of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF)
stationed at various centres along highways and major cities as part of
“Operation Restore Legacy”, have reportedly gone on a rampage indiscriminately
assaulting civilians, often without provocation.
Social media was yesterday awash with videos of some
incidents, although ZDF spokesperson Colonel Overson Mugwisi said none of the
victims had formally raised a complaint.
Mugwisi challenged the victims to provide evidence of their
alleged abuse by soldiers to facilitate investigations.
“If there is anyone who is assaulted or harassed, the law
of Zimbabwe is very clear that people should report the cases to the ZRP
(Zimbabwe Republic Police),” he said.
“Police must take appropriate action. People know this,
there is nothing new and nothing has changed.
“We need authentic cases with details of how it happened
and who is involved.
“Without this, we will end up chasing the wind, I don’t
want to be an accessory to misinformation.
“You know people are playing games with us, do you have any
verified case on your claims?”
Mugwisi said he would only comment on “authentic” matters,
not those coming from speculation or social media, as there was a possibility
that the stories were being made up to tarnish the image of the military, which
last month played a pivotal role in deposing former President Robert Mugabe
from power.
Mugwisi’s comments came amid reports that a group of
soldiers aboard a private vehicle driven by a Masvingo-based Zimbabwe Revenue
Authority (Zimra) official allegedly opened fire on a Mutare-bound MB Transport
bus carrying 42 passengers on Sunday.
According to eyewitnesses, a shot slightly missed the
driver and shattered the window behind him when the gun-toting soldiers and the
Zimra official, identified only as Makunike, were involved in a high-speed
chase with the bus.
Makunike yesterday would neither deny nor confirm the
allegations, referring questions to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) head
office in Harare.
“I cannot answer you on that one, but I would rather refer
you to our corporate communications manager in Harare,” he said.
The bus owner, Brian Mungofa of Beitbridge, said the bus
was on its way to Mutare when a man in an unmarked vehicle flagged the driver
down.
“My bus driver did not stop seeing the vehicle was not
marked and drove on,” he said.
A few minutes later, the same vehicle was behind them, but
now it had armed men dressed in Zimbabwe National Army camouflage.
“The occupants of the car were waving the driver to stop.
“My driver said he did not stop because he feared the
soldiers and drove on to Nyika growth point, where he stopped at a police
roadblock.”
Before he arrived at the roadblock, the bus had been hit by
six bullets, including one that narrowly missed the driver and hit a window
behind him.
“I understand some spent cartridges were recovered from
Makunike’s car. The matter was reported at the roadblock at Nyika,” Mungofa
said.
A passenger, Krainos Mukwasi, said soldiers sprayed bullets
at the bus, forcing it to stop after a long chase.
“It was early Sunday morning near Masvingo when our bus was
stopped by Zimra officials, but the driver refused to stop.
“Instead of taking Harare Road, we went through Mutare
Road, but as the bus was fleeing, Zimra officials, who had teamed up with
soldiers, were in hot pursuit,” the passenger said.
“During the chase, the driver was making it impossible for
the Zimra vehicle to overtake and, hence, we travelled for a while until
soldiers started firing at the bus.
“The bus finally stopped and was taken back to Masvingo,
but what infuriated many is the manner in which the soldiers reacted.”
Contacted for comment on the MB Bus shooting incident,
Zimra corporate communications officer Canisio Mudzimu said cross-border
drivers should abide by law enforcement agents’ directives.
“Post-importation roadblocks that are carried out by the
Zimbabwe Revenue Authority in collaboration with law enforcement agencies are
one of the many initiatives that the authority uses to safeguard revenue and to
ensure that goods imported into the country are properly cleared under customs
laws.
“When motorists approach a roadblock and they are signalled
to stop, they must abide by the instructions since failure to stop is an
offence in terms of the law. Zimra, therefore, urges members of the public to
properly declare their goods on importation and exportation and to co-operate
with Zimra officers and law enforcement agencies when they are carrying out
their duties in accordance with the laws of the land.”
The incident came shortly after eight suspected rogue
police officers and 11 soldiers were arrested in Chipinge on Saturday on
allegations of demanding a bribe at a roadblock they were jointly manning along
the Birchenough Bridge-Mt Selinda Road.
Vendors and opposition legislators, throughout the country,
have also raised concern over soldiers’ alleged heavy-handedness.
Last week, MDC-T MPs demanded that President Emmerson
Mnangagwa order the soldiers to go back to the barracks or at least explain to
Parliament why they were on the streets doing civilian duties normally
conducted by the police.
The MPs said the deployment of the soldiers was illegal and
contravened section 213 of the Constitution and demanded that Mnangagwa, who
holds the sole responsibility of deploying soldiers during disasters, explain. Newsday
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