News / Press Release
VP Mphoko vanished during war - ZAPU puts record straight on Mphoko's war credentials.
08 Apr 2016 at 12:22hrs | Views
ZAPU notes with sadness the level of unprofessional journalism that was displayed by the Chronicle edition of Wednesday 06 April 2016, in which its reporter Nduduzo Tshuma openly and unashamedly displayed gross disregard of ethical journalism practice both by himself and the Chronicle.
It was shocking to us as ZAPU that after the President Dr Dabengwa gave a commemoration lecture on the late ZPRA General Lookout Masuku on Tuesday 05 April 2016, Tshuma only chose to hear of a name that was never mentioned in the whole lecture and coming up with a story seeking to buttress Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko's war credentials and history.
It is however necessary at this juncture for ZAPU to set the record straight about this whole issue and Vice President Mphoko's status according to ZAPU.
To begin with, the President Dr Dabengwa, without giving any names, mentioned that two people were left behind in Mozambique when ZIPA collapsed. One was responsible for Logistics while the other was responsible for Reconnaissance in the Gonarezhou and Malipati areas.
Phelekezela Mphoko, whose nom-de-guerre was Report and Tommy Ndebele, were the two ZPRA fighters who were left behind in Mozambique, with each given assignments according to their deployment.
Mphokos assignment, as Chief of Logistics at that time, was to await the delivery of arms from East Germany, arms and equipment which had been given to ZIPA to be split between the two armed forces.
He was supposed to get the ZPRA Forces allocation of the weapons and ensure their safe passage for deployment in the Gonarezhou Park through to Malipati.
It is hereby categorically stated that Mphoko was supposed and expected to return to Zambia at the end of his one assignment and make a report to his superiors, which he never did.
ZPRA has no idea what became of the weapons and equipment he was assigned to take care of when he was left behind in Mozambique.
ZPRA and ZAPU never saw or heard from him since then only for him to resurface in 1980 after the country attained independence, having been last with ZPRA in 1976.
It might be of interest to the reporter to note that Mphoko remained in Mozambique for only one assignment and a sane person will know it doesn't take over four years to only receive a single consignment of weapons during a war of Zimbabwe/Rhodesia proportions.
Tommy Ndebele, responsible for Reconnaissance did not see much of his assignment as he disappeared in combat and ZAPU believes he was killed in his line of duty, suspectedly by ZANLA Forces who did not want him to penetrate the areas he was assigned to, especially the Malipati front.
It then becomes interesting as to how a trained journalist decides to reduce a memorial lecture of a decorated cadre and national hero of Mafela's statue into one story that is depictive of the circus currently obtaining in ZANU PF.
Instead of reporting on the event the reporter sought to drag the nation into filthy succession dogfights in fractured ZANU PF and seek to use Dr Dabengwa's name to clean the uncleanable and improve Mphoko's image and dubious war credentials.
The only correct and factual part of Nduduzo Tshuma's story is when he mentions that Dr Dabengwa was speaking at the memorial lecture to commemorate the death of General Lookout Masuku.
The nation was interested in the Lookout Masuku Legacy and contribution to the country's freedom yet Tshuma and the Chronicle decided to turn the whole event into some bootlicking frenzy.
It must be clearly understood that Dr Dabengwa was highly diplomatic and avoided the Mphoko issue on the day as he concentrated on the important business of the day. It then boggles the mind as to where this reporter and Chronicle got Mphoko's name as it was never mentioned by The President Dr Dabengwa.
ZAPU therefore urges the reporter and the Chronicle to go back to journalism basics and uphold ethical practice as their role is to inform, not misinform.
While it is public knowledge that the Chronicle is deeply involved in the current succession wars in the fractured ZANU PF, it is also important for the Chronicle to revert to its constitutional mandate of informing the public.
It goes without saying that the information they give out must always be factual all the time irrespective of who is being covered.
It was shocking to us as ZAPU that after the President Dr Dabengwa gave a commemoration lecture on the late ZPRA General Lookout Masuku on Tuesday 05 April 2016, Tshuma only chose to hear of a name that was never mentioned in the whole lecture and coming up with a story seeking to buttress Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko's war credentials and history.
It is however necessary at this juncture for ZAPU to set the record straight about this whole issue and Vice President Mphoko's status according to ZAPU.
To begin with, the President Dr Dabengwa, without giving any names, mentioned that two people were left behind in Mozambique when ZIPA collapsed. One was responsible for Logistics while the other was responsible for Reconnaissance in the Gonarezhou and Malipati areas.
Phelekezela Mphoko, whose nom-de-guerre was Report and Tommy Ndebele, were the two ZPRA fighters who were left behind in Mozambique, with each given assignments according to their deployment.
Mphokos assignment, as Chief of Logistics at that time, was to await the delivery of arms from East Germany, arms and equipment which had been given to ZIPA to be split between the two armed forces.
He was supposed to get the ZPRA Forces allocation of the weapons and ensure their safe passage for deployment in the Gonarezhou Park through to Malipati.
It is hereby categorically stated that Mphoko was supposed and expected to return to Zambia at the end of his one assignment and make a report to his superiors, which he never did.
ZPRA has no idea what became of the weapons and equipment he was assigned to take care of when he was left behind in Mozambique.
ZPRA and ZAPU never saw or heard from him since then only for him to resurface in 1980 after the country attained independence, having been last with ZPRA in 1976.
It might be of interest to the reporter to note that Mphoko remained in Mozambique for only one assignment and a sane person will know it doesn't take over four years to only receive a single consignment of weapons during a war of Zimbabwe/Rhodesia proportions.
Tommy Ndebele, responsible for Reconnaissance did not see much of his assignment as he disappeared in combat and ZAPU believes he was killed in his line of duty, suspectedly by ZANLA Forces who did not want him to penetrate the areas he was assigned to, especially the Malipati front.
It then becomes interesting as to how a trained journalist decides to reduce a memorial lecture of a decorated cadre and national hero of Mafela's statue into one story that is depictive of the circus currently obtaining in ZANU PF.
Instead of reporting on the event the reporter sought to drag the nation into filthy succession dogfights in fractured ZANU PF and seek to use Dr Dabengwa's name to clean the uncleanable and improve Mphoko's image and dubious war credentials.
The only correct and factual part of Nduduzo Tshuma's story is when he mentions that Dr Dabengwa was speaking at the memorial lecture to commemorate the death of General Lookout Masuku.
The nation was interested in the Lookout Masuku Legacy and contribution to the country's freedom yet Tshuma and the Chronicle decided to turn the whole event into some bootlicking frenzy.
It must be clearly understood that Dr Dabengwa was highly diplomatic and avoided the Mphoko issue on the day as he concentrated on the important business of the day. It then boggles the mind as to where this reporter and Chronicle got Mphoko's name as it was never mentioned by The President Dr Dabengwa.
ZAPU therefore urges the reporter and the Chronicle to go back to journalism basics and uphold ethical practice as their role is to inform, not misinform.
While it is public knowledge that the Chronicle is deeply involved in the current succession wars in the fractured ZANU PF, it is also important for the Chronicle to revert to its constitutional mandate of informing the public.
It goes without saying that the information they give out must always be factual all the time irrespective of who is being covered.
Source - Zapu
