Police deny report on chanting slogans

via Police deny report on chanting slogans The Standard

POLICE yesterday denied that they chanted Zanu PF slogans during the official opening of the Harare Agricultural Show (HAS) on Friday.

National police spokesperson, Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba dismissed a NewsDay report which alleged that police officers had chanted Zanu PF slogans during the event which was officially opened by President Robert Mugabe.

The newspaper had a front page picture showing police officers waving fists alongside members of Zanu PF women’s league.

Charamba however said waving a fist was merely a symbol of black power and was in line with the force’s winning of three gold medals at the show.

“The ZRP sport persons are athletes at heart and in flesh and celebrate victory through a Zimbabwean symbol,” she said. “After all, is the ZRP not allowed to celebrate when they win three gold medals?” she charged.

She said the story was “misguided” because the author never heard the police officers chanting Zanu PF slogans.

“The Zimbabwe Agricultural Society (ZAS) is not a state organisation as inferred,” said Chramba, adding that there was no need for the ZRP to bootlick the President as alleged.

“The ZRP is a patriotic force which is not perturbed by reporters who bootlick their paymasters and write falsehoods and frame stories to confuse the generality of Zimbabweans,” she said