President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Wednesday belatedly notified the Parliament of his decision to, and the reasons for deploying the army in August 2018 and January 2019 to put down protests that broke out in Harare and across the country respectively.
The notice was read on his behalf in Parliament by the leader of government business in Parliament, Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi.
He said in both cases, proper procedures were followed in the deployment of security forces to deal with protestors.
The August 1 protests in Harare’s CBD resulted in the death of 7 people from gunshot wounds, and a Commission of Inquiry established to look into the events concluded that the army was responsible for the killings.
The January riots ignited by a fuel price hike in the killing of 18 people according to human rights groups. Hundreds more were seriously injured.
Related:
-
Mthuli Blames Mugabe For January’s Brutal Crackdown On Intense Protest
-
Govt Should Compensate August 1 Victims And Dependents Of The Deceased- Motlanthe Commission