Zimbabwe police rap CNN over stage managed report

Chief Police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba has dismissed as a "Hollywood movie" a CNN report that local officers are ordered to beat up, throw tear smoke canisters and eventually shoot civilians during demonstrations.

This comes after CNN recently conducted an interview with a man masquerading as a ZRP officer who raised allegations against the force, including police brutality.

In a statement on Thursday, she said it was clear the whole interview was stage-managed.

"Whilst we agree that CNN, like any other media institution, have journalistic privileges, these should never be abused. We have watched with total disbelief an interview purported to have been carried out with a member of the Zimbabwe Republic Police.

"By merely looking at the shadowy figure with a voice that had been modified, it is clear that this fictitious character would fit in a Hollywood modified style movie," she said.

"It is very clear that the whole interview was manufactured and concocted or to, simply put it, was stage managed. This is clearly unprofessional and malicious," she said.

She said the ZRP is a professional force which uses internationally accepted standards prescribed by the United Nations.

"All members who are deployed on public order duties are thoroughly briefed and the deployments are guided by a distinctly written operational order which at no cost does not state ZRP officers should beat up people, throw tear smoke and eventually shoot demonstrators as maliciously stated by this bogus officer.

"The ZRP did not use firearms for crowd control in the recent demonstrations, contrary to the bogus officer's assertion," Snr Asst Comm Charamba said.