ZRP, ZDF dismiss ‘shutdown’ calls

THE Zimbabwe Republic Police and the Zimbabwe Defence Forces have warned against misleading information being circulated on social media that the army is urging people to go into the streets and shut down the country today.

In a joint statement yesterday, the ZRP chief staff officer (press and public relations) Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba and ZDF director (public relations) Colonel Overson Mugwisi said the messages were malicious and targeted at causing chaos in the country.

“The Zimbabwe Republic Police and other security services have noted with great concern falsehoods that are being peddled on social media which are obviously meant to cause alarm and despondency in the country,” they said.

“Some of the false messages include the one where it is alleged that soldiers are calling upon the people of Zimbabwe to go onto the streets and shut down Zimbabwe. For the record, this message and its contents should be dismissed.

“The Zimbabwe Defence Forces does not communicate through social media. Such propaganda is meant to incite public violence and tarnish the image of Zimbabwe Defence Forces.”

The security forces said it was business as usual today.

“We urge Zimbabweans to ignore this message and turn out to their work places and businesses without hindrance,” they said.

MDC-Alliance leader Mr Nelson Chamisa promised his supporters that he will make the country ungovernable it he lost the elections.

His officials were also at the forefront of calling for violence if their party was not declared the winner.

On Wednesday last week, the opposition party supporters took to the streets in Harare and went on the rampage.