Police dismiss war vets claims

Police in Harare have dismissed as false, reports in the media that they had allowed war veterans to meet for their indaba in the city.

In a statement yesterday, Harare provincial spokesperson Assistant Inspector Tarirai Dube said the war veterans had to comply with the provisions of the law to conduct their meeting.

"The police want to make it very clear that they did not 'OKAY' the war vets indaba as alleged. The applicant has to comply with the provisions of the law as enshrined in the Public Order and Security Act Chapter 11:17.

"Any gathering without compliance to the provisions of the law will be deemed unlawful," she said.

The sentiments come after the NewsDay carried a story yesterday headlined "Police Okay War Vets Indaba", in which they alleged that the force had finally allowed war veterans to meet in Harare for their indaba meant to discuss "Zimbabwe's deteriorating economic, social and political crisis".

The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans' Association (ZNLWVA) spokesperson Mr Douglas Mahiya was quoted saying police had given them the greenlight on Monday and that war veterans, Government and Zanu-PF officials were expected to attend.

In an interview yesterday, Mr Mahiya said if police had issued a statement pertaining to the issue, it means that they had denied them permission to conduct the meeting.

"They are the regulatory authority and if they have issued that statement, it means that they have denied permission. What else do you want me to say?" he said.