Zimbabwe police boss fears power of social media

03 February 2016 - 15:32 By Agency Staff
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Zimbabwe's police boss, Augustine Chihuri, has warned that the use of social media in the southern African country could lead to tensions that have a "potential of causing instability in the country".

According to the state-owned Herald newspaper, while addressing police officers who would be sent to South Sudan on a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission, Chihuri said: "All suffering are as results of human beings and their agitators. We read a lot of insulting stories in the newspapers every day. I do not know whether this is contributing to peace. I doubt it is."

Chihuri's remarks came as the country's minister of higher education, Jonathan Moyo, raised eyebrows last week following his posts on Twitter in which he "picked fights" with other government officials.  

Moyo, in a series of tweets, accused presidential spokesperson, George Charamba, of neglecting his civil servant duties after he (Charamba) reportedly insinuated, during an interview, that Moyo was the brains behind Generation 40 - a group that is allegedly against Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa taking over from Mugabe.

The G40 is reportedly backing first lady Grace Mugabe as President Robert Mugabe's heir apparent when he leaves office.

According to reports, the ruling party has been torn apart by the succession wars, as party members position themselves for an imminent take over from Mugabe.

Chihuri urged police officials to desist from using social media, describing it as a world of "confusion".

Zanu-PF party spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo indicated this week that the issue of social media was set to be discussed at the upcoming politburo meeting.

Moyo maintained that aggrieved party members were supposed to use party structures to raise their complaints and to communicate party information.

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