Charamba Demands Retraction And Apology From AMH Newspaper
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s spokesperson, George Charamba, has again raised an issue with the privately-owned media company Alpha Media Holdings (AMH) over a story by one of its publications, the weekly “The Standard”.
Charamba has requested that The Standard retracts its story linking First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa to an alleged list of Covid-19 Rescue Fund drawn up and run by the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare.
This comes about two weeks after NewsDay claimed that one Tarirai Mnangagwa was the President’s son, a claim Charamba vehemently rejected. In a statement this Wednesday, Charamba said:
The Office of the President and Cabinet again notes with growing concern more slurs on the First Family by publications under the AMH Group.
This week’s issue of The Standard spitefully links the First Lady Amai Auxilia Mnangagwa, to an alleged list of Covid 19 Rescue Fund drawn up and run by the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare.
For the record, the First Lady has nothing to do with the said list of beneficiaries. Secondly, she is neither aware of, nor a shareholder in a company called PPAC Investments Private Limited, as wrongfully alleged by the paper in the said report.
The Office would only be too happy to be furnished with evidence linking the First Lady or any member of her household to the said company.
That the fallacious article is driven by ill will is further shown by an insert into the story which reads: “Kwekwe, a city in the Midlands province, is Mnangagwa’s urban home area and he has a farm, Precabe, in the vicinity.”
Quite how President Mnangagwa’s alleged residence in Kwekwe, or his having a farm in the vicinity of the same city, bears any relevance to the alleged Covid19 Rescue Fund List boggles the mind.
As before and, in respect of publications under the AMH stable, for the second time in about as many weeks, the Office of the President and Cabinet urges the media to desist from maligning the innocent through false reports and/or imputations.
For this latest calumny, the Office once more requests The Standard to issue a prompt, well-positioned retraction and an apology to the First Lady and her family.
The Office counts on the Publication’s good conscience and professionalism.
George Charamba
Deputy Chief Secretary, Presidential Communications
Office of the President and Cabinet
