Govt dismisses Chamisa ‘abduction’
THE Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) was not involved in the alleged attempted abduction of MDC Alliance leader Mr Nelson Chamisa on Saturday in Ruwa and the vehicle purported to belong to the abductors in the video clip being circulated on social media platforms does not belong to any Government department, a Cabinet minister has said.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the Toyota Harrier was not Government property and that the incident appeared more like a case of road rage than an attempted abduction.
Minister Mutsvangwa dismissed as mischievous false reports that CIO operatives were behind the said attempted abduction.
“Government is dismayed at the imputation that State agents would attempt to abduct opposition leaders. That notion is not only false, but also mischievous, moreso taken in light of the efforts by Government to harmonise all laws and practices with the Constitution,” she said.
Minister Mutsvangwa added: “For the avoidance of doubt, the CIO was not involved in this reported incident which is now under police investigation.
“The Government would like to categorically state that neither the intelligence services nor any security services or any arm of Government owns the Toyota Harrier in that video.”
Minister Mutsvangwa said Mr Chamisa’s case, as reported to the police, appeared more like road rage.
“Reports filed with the police indicate that some people were coming from Marondera, driving behind what they later learnt to be Mr Chamisa’s convoy.
“Suddenly the convoy stopped and blocked them from overtaking.
“They were aggressively confronted and manhandled by members of Mr Chamisa’s entourage, including Mr Chamisa, who lobbied himself at the back seat of their vehicle punching and scratching,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
“The victims (just ordinary citizens going about their own business until the attack) have reported this matter to the police who are carrying out further investigations; this would appear to be a road rage incident.”
She added: “A quick check at the Central Vehicle Registry (CVR) would show the media or any interested parties who the owner of the Toyota Harrier is.”
She said the President’s Department upholds the Constitution.
The department, the minister said, was alive to the President’s vision to recognise the opposition through, among others, establishing the office of the opposition leader in Parliament in terms of the Constitution.
She said the department could not act contrary to the President’s call.
“The department subjects itself to the authority of the Constitution, the President and the aspirations of the people of Zimbabwe and would not act contrary to those ethos.
“Government would like to assure the public, all opposition parties and their leadership that it acknowledges and supports the legal existence of the opposition parties as enshrined in our Constitution,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.