The ruling ZANU-PF party has reportedly brought in state security agents as it struggles to quell growing discontent among its members against the party’s leader, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, amid deteriorating economic conditions and rampant corruption.
Disgruntled Zanu PF members took to social media to express their dissatisfaction with Mnangagwa through fake press statements allegedly issued from within the party.
There has been an influx of press releases circulating on social media, allegedly emanating from the information department of Zanu PF, where the authors expressed various grievances stemming from issues occurring in the party.
Presidential spokesman George Charamba said the issuance of false press statements risked “getting out of control,” adding that there was a “cunning” hand in their production.
A fake statement purporting to be from the Zimbabwe Defense Forces was also circulated on social media with the authors complaining about rampant corruption among army leaders which they said started from “the top”.
The latest fake statement, dated February 21, criticizes Zanu PF Masvingo members who mobilized for Mnangagwa’s bid for a third term under the slogan “2030 Mnangagwa will still be in office by 2030”.
Rejecting the fake press release, Sharamba using the
“There must be a legal and technical remedy to this trend that threatens to get out of control,” Charamba said.
“There is a cunning hand on social media that falsifies or distorts data to achieve its own political goals. We saw this in a recent press release from the Zimbabwe Defense Forces. And it is repeated today. The law can be put in place very quickly; the technology is there to trace any post back to uploading miscreants “Our security structures must act very quickly, so only one case is made to teach the rest a lesson!!!!!!”
Charamba was not picking up calls when NewsDay tried to contact him for comment.
But Newsday is reliably informed that Mnangagwa’s bid for a third term has reignited factional battles between him and his deputy, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, with members allied with the latter pressuring Mnangagwa to step down.
Some members of the ZANU-PF party accused Mnangagwa of reneging on the agreement concluded before November
coup 2017, Who overthrew the late former president Robert Mugabe, assuming the presidency for one term and handing over power to the former army general.
But Zanu PF information director Farai Marabira said the matter would be pursued by police to uncover those issuing false statements.
“When it is discovered who is behind this case, I am sure the police will be arrested over the matter,” Marabera said.
“We have not yet issued an official report on these specific (statements), but a series of disinformation messages have been reported, so I am sure the police will find a way to start pushing for these investigations. In due course, we will file a police report.”
Marabira distanced members of Zanu PF from the false statements, but accused unnamed individuals of conspiring to create panic and despair in the party.
“Disinformation is a matter of concern and has become a serious scourge,” Marabera said.
“It is being used to push false messages to create panic and despair. We do not believe that any ordinary member of Zanu PF would be behind these statements because Zanu PF is a party with systems and guidelines. If anyone has anything to say, they are free to do so because we have a lot of Opportunities for him to do so. Newsday
