Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Ndavaningi Nick Mangwana said that the recent kidnappings and assaults of citizens by gunmen bear all the marks of “black ops”.
Writing on microblogging site Twitter on Friday, Mangwana argued that the is a need for level-headed analysis of the recent activities. He said:
Recent activities in Zim have all the hallmarks of “black ops” hence need to be analysed dispassionately. Who stands to gain from damage to ED’s local and international prestige? Why would masked people abduct then order victim not to criticise govt? Nicely setting things up? 🤷♂️
According to Wikipedia, “Black Op” is short for “Black Operation” which it defines as:
… a covert or clandestine operation by a government agency, a military unit or a paramilitary organization; it can include activities by private companies or groups.
Key features of a black operation are that it is secret and it is not attributable to the organization carrying it out.