By Tapiwa Kapisa.
Zimbabwe Republic Police issued an apologized for the inconvenience that took place yesterday at Bronte Hotel in Harare, venue for the MDC Alliance extraordinary press conference.
The police disrupted the Nelson Chamisa media briefing which came hours after he rejected the presidential election results announced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) which saw incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa retain power.
In a press statement issued out later yesterday, the Police General Headquarters said they regret impeding the progress of Chamisa’s press conference.
“The ZRP sincerely apologizes and wish to state that we respect freedom of the media, freedom of expression and freedom of association as provided for by the Zimbabwean laws.
“This isolated incident should not be misconstrued to mean that we are heavy handed.
“We have a constitutional mandate to ensure that law and order is maintained,” the press statement read.
The statement added that police acted on the basis of maintaining order against the violence that took place in the CBD on Wednesday.
“Given the prevailing security situation and events that unfolded on the 1st of August 2018 and intelligence at hand, the police responded purely on the basis of tenets of governing meetings and gatherings according to the country’s laws,” read the statement.
The press conference commenced an hour after arguments by journalists who wanted to know why they wanted to know why they were being chased away from the event.
Acting Minister of Information Simon Khaya Moyo intervened for the press conference to proceed despite the police taking time to follow the instruction.
Speaking during the press conference Nelson Chamisa dismissed allegations that the MDC Alliance leaders incited the violence that took place on Wednesday, blaming the military for using guns and bullets against civilians.
Journalists at Chamisa press conference Bronte Hotel
“We are not a military organization, we are a democratic organization, we do not believe in violence, we do not believe in anarchy, we do not believe in use of weapons of war against anyone and this is why we find it difficult that the thank you we are getting for being peaceful, the thank you we are getting for being law abiding is a thank you of bullets,” said Chamisa.
On Wednesday MDC Alliance supporters stormed the streets of Harare protesting against the results announced by ZEC thus far and ended up vandising property.
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