News / National
Police dismiss Muchinguri's kidnappings claims
14 Aug 2014 at 07:00hrs | Views
POLICE yesterday said they had no record of Zanu-PF officials who had been kidnapped or sequestered, dismissing claims by Women's League secretary Oppah Muchinguri.
Muchinguri told reporters this week that they had reports from Manicaland, Mashonaland Central and Masvingo of women being "sequestered" to either manipulate them into voting in a certain way of prevent them from voting at the elective Women's League conference which gets underway in Harare today.
She added that the cases had been reported to the police.
Yesterday, police said they had not received a single report of Zanu-PF officials being kidnapped.
Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi, in a statement, said "Following recent media reports on alleged kidnappings in the country, the ZRP has been approached by Zanu-PF inquiring and verifying whether there are any reports pertaining to kidnappings that have been received by the police."
"We have since checked with all our stations, districts and provinces and for the record no kidnapping cases have been reported," said Nyathi.
"In any case, any criminal acts which occur in our country should be reported immediately to the nearest police station … so that necessary action can be taken."
Zanu-PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo on Wednesday rejected Muchinguri's claims and fell just short of accusing her of lying.
"I want to categorically say that there is nothing like that and no reports of a such nature have been received by the party," said Gumbo.
"People who are going around talking about kidnappings are using the party's name to try and prop up their fortunes, and this is a ploy to tarnish the image of the party."
Efforts to get a comment from Muchinguri yesterday were fruitless as a woman who answered her phone said she was very busy.
Last week, Gokwe-Gumunyu MP Melania Majovani said she had reported Flora Buka, the Minister of State in the President's Office, for allegedly abducting and holding members of the Women's League hostage to force them to vote for her in the provincial ballot. Buka eventually lost to Majovani.
Muchinguri told reporters this week that they had reports from Manicaland, Mashonaland Central and Masvingo of women being "sequestered" to either manipulate them into voting in a certain way of prevent them from voting at the elective Women's League conference which gets underway in Harare today.
She added that the cases had been reported to the police.
Yesterday, police said they had not received a single report of Zanu-PF officials being kidnapped.
Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi, in a statement, said "Following recent media reports on alleged kidnappings in the country, the ZRP has been approached by Zanu-PF inquiring and verifying whether there are any reports pertaining to kidnappings that have been received by the police."
"We have since checked with all our stations, districts and provinces and for the record no kidnapping cases have been reported," said Nyathi.
Zanu-PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo on Wednesday rejected Muchinguri's claims and fell just short of accusing her of lying.
"I want to categorically say that there is nothing like that and no reports of a such nature have been received by the party," said Gumbo.
"People who are going around talking about kidnappings are using the party's name to try and prop up their fortunes, and this is a ploy to tarnish the image of the party."
Efforts to get a comment from Muchinguri yesterday were fruitless as a woman who answered her phone said she was very busy.
Last week, Gokwe-Gumunyu MP Melania Majovani said she had reported Flora Buka, the Minister of State in the President's Office, for allegedly abducting and holding members of the Women's League hostage to force them to vote for her in the provincial ballot. Buka eventually lost to Majovani.
Source - chronicle
