Former Zambian politician Vernon Johnson Mwaanga who served in different portfolios under Kenneth David Kaunda’s leadership narrated an incident when Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa was kidnapped during the liberation war (Second Chimurenga). Mwaanga said Mnangagwa was kidnapped because he was considered to belong to a faction which was supportive of Robert Mugabe.
Mwaanga said he facilitated Mnangagwa’s release by first getting in touch with the police then the army when the police had failed to rescue the Zanu-PF politician. Said Mwaanga:
. The police retreated because here (in Lusaka) they are not armed. When they retreated, they reported to me that they had been engaged militarily by the elements they found on the ground. I phoned the army commander and I asked him to send soldiers to the camp to go and have Mr Mnangagwa released. I told them to use any amount of force necessary to secure his release. When they got there, they tried to put up resistance but the soldiers were well armed. The soldiers warned them that if they tried they may light up the whole camp. They went in and I told them to disarm everyone. They found Mr Mnangagwa tied to a tree in that camp. They took photos and then untied him.
More: Herald