'Don't provoke Zimbabwe's security services'

THE deafening silence from church organisations following the killing of a soldier in cold blood in Chivhu and attempts by the opposition to protect the bandits portray their duplicity as puppets of Western nations.

In a Press statement, ZANU PF Youth League acting secretary Tendai Chirau saluted the country's servicemen and women who have been at the frontline fighting the Covid-19 pandemic and condemned the acts of banditry that resulted in the death of a soldier on duty.

"It is, however, greatly disconcerting that some criminal and lunatic elements in our society would conceive of killing in cold blood, soldiers deployed for this important duty. All progressive and patriotic elements of our society must see this attack against our security forces as not only an attack against Zimbabwe, but also as an effort to throw off course the current efforts to combat Covid-19," said Chirau.

Swift action from a combined force of the country's police and soldiers saw the two assailants who stormed a police station in Chivhu being killed and Chirau warned anyone who harbours such terrorist thinking that the long arm of the law will catch up with them.

"This profanity of our nationhood should never be allowed to recur, and the incident should serve as sufficient warning to any would-be malefactors. We hereby reiterate without equivocation, our position that any act of aggression against our dedicated Covid-19 frontline cadres is an act of war, and that any manipulation of this situation for personal, sectarian and political gain at the expense of national safety is treasonous.

"This sums up our opinion of equally deranged fly-by-night political lawyers who continue to "impress" their foreign handlers with vapid talk of "civilian space", in defence of trigger-happy criminals.

"Needless to say that such retrogressive and self-hating sentiments manifest in words that demonise our security forces for defending the nation are not shocking coming from the usual unpatriotic voices. Bandits have no portion in civilian space, and defending them is an act of terror against the lawful citizens of Zimbabwe," said Chirau.

Founder of Destiny for Africa Reverend Obadiah Msindo said the murder of a serviceman by two bandits was meant to give credence to the opposition claims that there is a crisis in Zimbabwe ahead of a visit by the South African ruling party the African National Congress (ANC) which is due to meet the ruling party Zanu PF for bilateral engagements.

He said since failing to subvert the will of the people through unsanctioned demonstrations in July, the opposition has been hard at work trying to depict Zimbabwe as a country in crisis and the killing of a soldier in Chivhu is a case in point.

"What happened in Chivhu is unacceptable and it must be condemned by all peace loving Zimbabweans, the killing of soldiers on duty, even if they were not on duty by criminals should be condemned, but the Church which is always quick to accuse the Government is worryingly silent, why aren't their condemning this act of anarchy."

Rev Msindo also condemned the MDC-A's attempts to portray the shooting of the two assailants as extra-judicial killing saying the opposition is desperate to fan anarchy in Zimbabwe and would prefer a situation where armed bandits roam freely.

MDC-A spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere has condemned the lawful shooting of the criminals who shot members of the security forces after they had been tracked by the country's security forces on Sunday. This is despite the fact that the duo, who were armed with AK47 assault rifles, were firing at law enforcement agents as they tried to evade arrest.