The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has launched an investigation into a fabricated press statement claiming the force wanted to interview President Emmerson Mnangagwa regarding an unknown crime.
In a statement, ZRP spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi dismissed the press release as fake, stating unequivocally that the police force is not investigating the President in any way. He condemned those responsible for spreading misinformation.
The fake statement, dated September 14, 2023, alleged the ZRP sought to question President Mnangagwa. Nyathi reiterated that this is false and the police do not have any open cases against the President.
He warned that police will pursue the criminal syndicate involved in distributing the doctored press release. Manufacturing and releasing forged documents to undermine state institutions cannot be tolerated, Nyathi asserted.
Unfortunately, certain opposition actors have increasingly turned to spreading manipulated media online since their election defeat. While Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa disputed presidential vote results without evidence, the party has not contested national assembly seats won.
President Mnangagwa won 52.6 percent of the vote compared with 44 percent for Nelson Chamisa, his main challenger, according to official results announced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).
As investigations into the fake statement move forward, this incident highlights the need for responsible civic participation and verification of information from authoritative sources, to avoid spreading disinformation that erodes democratic principles of credibility and accountability.
