Police Challenged To Respond To "Social Media" Posts In The Same Way
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has been challenged to respond to posts on social media by citizens in the same way.
This comes after the ZRP took more than 24 hours to react to social media posts about the alleged abduction and torture of CCC MP Takudzwa Ngadziore by gunmen on Wednesday.
Ngadziore, who is a CCC’s Youth Quota MP, recorded his abduction live on Facebook on Wednesday morning before he was reportedly taken to Mazowe where he was tortured before being stripped naked and dumped.
It was only on Thursday evening that the police posted a short statement on their X page saying they were trying to contact the victim to gather facts about the alleged abduction. Said ZRP:
The ZRP has been keenly following an allegation of abduction and torture on Social Media. The Police informs the public that no such case has been reported.
We are trying to make contact with the alleged victim so as to elicit the facts beyond what is on social media.
Posting on the X social media platform this Friday, Mt Pleasant MP, Fadzayi Mahere (CCC), contrasted the Police’s response to her “dead baby tweet” and their reaction to reports on Ngadziore’s abduction and torture. Said Mahere:
Within hours of the “dead baby tweet”, they were at my house in an unmarked vehicle. They said they were after me for a tweet.
I was arrested & prosecuted. Now, they play dumb because a CCC member has been abducted.
How do we have confidence in you when you desecrate the very Constitution you are meant to uphold?
Journalist Blessed Mhlanga argued that it doesn’t make sense for the police to say they were awaiting a report before they commenced investigations into the alleged abduction. He said:
Police can investigate and arrest criminals even without anyone reporting. Crimes are committed against the State, not individuals. Who reported against the @ZESN1 staff arrested for parallel tabulation of results?
Responding to Government spokesperson Nick Mangwana who said that they had gathered from the police that the matter had not been reported, self-exiled former cabinet minister Walter Mzembi said:
Is @PoliceZimbabwe so complacent let alone our security forces that they will wait for a Police Report when there is footage of people marauding with AK47 Assault Rifles in suburbs substituting them in their role unless the only explanation is that they know the people in the footage and it was an authorised operation?
More: Pindula News
