Army Issues Statement On Bulawayo 'Takeover' Claims {Full Text}

FACTS ON THE ALLEGED “SECURITY SITUATION IN BULAWAYO AS ARMY, POLICE TAKEOVER” AS REPORTED BY BULAWAYO24.COM

1. The Army has noted with grave concern the levels and rate of misinformation that continues to be peddled mostly by online news agencies. On Tuesday 16 June 2020, the Bulawayo24.com ran a series of stories to the effect that the Army had taken over the city of Bulawayo. This is a blatant lie as the Army was and is still assisting the police to enforce lockdown regulations in order to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

2. The same publication went on to proffer possible scenarios that could have led to the so-called takeover by theorizing that the soldiers were angry because of the pay cut. Note that there were no salary cuts to the soldiers or civil servants. The back pay was communicated when it commenced and it has always been public knowledge that it was going to end in May 2020.

3. The Army knows that there has always been an agenda to link members of the defence forces with negative issues as part of the calculated regime change agenda. All operations that the Army carries out are sanctioned and in line with its Constitutional mandate which is to ensure the safety of the public and their property. In no circumstance does the Army go about beating innocent civilians as purported in the series of false stories on the so-called Bulawayo takeover.

4. There has been an increase of negative stories of late in which the media has tried to be subversive and capitalise on the hardships that have been caused by the Corona Virus-induced lockdown to raise public emotions and anger against the Army and the Government. As a professional Organisation, the Army will always deliver on its constitutional mandate to safeguard the territorial integrity of Zimbabwe.

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5. All media organisations are free to ask for the correct information from the Army and report objectively all the times.

ALEX ZUVA
Major
Deputy Director Army Public Relations