Zimbabwe Army requests the NewsDay to retract its story

The Zimbabwe Defence Forces are not concerned with peaceful protesters because the nature of their activities does not constitute threats that warrant their involvement, a senior official said yesterday.

The army said this while dismissing as litigious and scandalous a story published in the NewsDay editions of the 17th and 18th of August alleging that the Zimbabwe Defence Forces has a hand in the perceived threats on Alpha Media Holdings chairman Mr Trevor Ncube's life.

The articles were entitled "AMH chairman fears for his life" and "Ncube police report disappears" respectively. In a statement yesterday, ZDF Director-General Policy and Public Relations, Brigadier General John Mupande, said the two stories were tantamount to tarnishing the image of the ZDF, which as an institution of great international repute, had an obligation to defend.

"We wish to categorically state that in the above stories, the ZDF takes great exception to reference that its personnel were involved in the visits to Mr Trevor Ncube's house. "Such is tantamount to trivialising as well as criminalising the role of the ZDF especially to the extent that an attempt is made to link this unverified episode to the disappearance of one Itai Dzamara.

"For the avoidance of doubt, Itai Dzamara and the nature of activities leading to his supposed disappearance do not constitute any threat warranting the involvement of the ZDF, much as house searches are not a role of the ZDF," said ZDF.

The ZDF said the kind of activities which Mr Ncube is involved in, namely publishing, do not constitute the nature of threat that ordinarily or historically warrants the mobilisation of any capabilities of the ZDF.

It urged all media houses to contact the ZDF for any clarifications through its spokesperson Colonel Overson Mugwisi or Brig-Gen Mupande before publishing stories that have the effect of tarnishing its reputation.

"The ZDF notes with dismay, an emergent incessantly habitual trend where media houses point to the complicity, direct or otherwise, of the ZDF in matters that do not form part of the mandate of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces."

"As a national defence institution, we are at all times seized with our primary role of defending Zimbabwe and its interests, as enshrined in our National Constitution, including preparing ourselves for that role. Such interests are not located at private residences of any of our nationals."

The ZDF said it was worrisome that such stories were published without an attempt by the responsible media houses to verify the facts. The army said it has always taken upon itself to make available its contact details to all media houses, including AMH, publishers of the NewsDay.

"Such stories are a mischievously calculated ploy to discredit the ZDF, misinform and excite the international readership that the ZDF is a rogue institution. The Zimbabwe Defence Forces is an enviable international brand with a reputation to protect.

"Part of its regalia, such as berets, caps and badges are obtainable from many sources and are subject to abuse and are therefore not by themselves proof that anyone adorning them is a bona fide member of the ZDF. AMH, the publishers of the NewsDay are therefore requested to retract its story with equal prominence," said ZDF.