HOME Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Ambassador Cain
Mathema, has said Government will not hesitate to introduce new laws to
regulate social media and warned individuals making false abduction claims to
prove the allegations or face jail.
In an interview, Ambassador Mathema said there was a
systematic plan to discredit the Government ahead of the United Nations General
Assembly being attended by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in New York, United
States.
The Minister’s comments come on the heels of several days
of allegations of abduction of Dr Peter Mugombeyi, who has since been found
unharmed and is admitted at a local hospital for observation.
Ambassador Mathema said there were foreign elements working
with opposition political parties, like the MDC Alliance, to create false
abduction cases in order to soil the name of the Government.
Dr Magombeyi was found in Nyabira amid claims that foreign
embassy officials were deeply interested in the matter, raising suspicion that
they could be behind an operation to discredit the State in a desperate bid to
justify continued isolation of Zimbabwe.
“We need to craft laws to penalise anyone who makes false
allegations against the Government.
“Anybody who lies against the State must go to jail. We
can’t have a situation where anyone can say anything and walk scot-free. This
nonsense must stop,” said Ambassador Mathema.
He dismissed Dr Magombeyi’s abductions claims as “outright
lies” adding that those who made the claims, will be made to account for their
words and actions.
Ambassador Mathema said the allegations caused panic and
disturbed internal peace as well as relations with other countries.
He said it was prudent that new laws be gazetted to govern
the use of social media.
“May I caution the media, human rights lawyers and civic
organisations against interfering with police investigations through issuing
unverified statements, some of which border on obstructing the course of
justice,” he said.
“My ministry is committed in ensuring that the police
conduct comprehensive investigations with a view of clearly unearthing what
happened in Dr Magombeyi’s case.”
Police spokesman, senior assistant commissioner Paul Nyathi
told The Sunday Mail yesterday that Dr Magombeyi, had not been arrested as
purported by malicious social media activists.
He said the doctor was in a local hospital.
“A medical report is not yet complete. Dr Magombeyi was
still under medical observation,” said senior assistant commissioner Nyathi.
The Sunday Mail sought to interview Dr Magombeyi on Friday
at a local hospital, but was barred by the doctors lawyers and hospital
security. Sunday Mail
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