Zimbabwe National Army Brigadier General Sanyatwe told the commission today that the infamous soldier captured on video shooting during the 01 August violence, was actually firing in the air.
The brigadier was responding to a commissioner who had asked if any dead bodies were recovered from the area where the kneeling soldier was firing. He responded:
No, sir. if you watch that video closely, that soldier who took a kneeling position whilst firing; if you check properly, military experts, that rifle was being fired at an angle of 45 degrees in the air, and not direct to the [people].
He was asked if he examined the video and he confirmed he did. He was then asked if that was indeed his assessment. Sanyatwe responded:
Not my assessment but it’s exactly what happened.
This is nonsense why are you idiot like that,we lost our family now to talk nonsense
He must face justice with chiwenga idiot shit imbwa iyi isingazivi zvainotaura
The kneeling solider – shooting in the air or not, it is clear that he was not authorised to shoot at all. Note the enraged senior soldier bearing down on him and the original video shows him raining blows on this ‘lone ranger’…….