Zimbabwe deploys army on border with Mozambique – “Renamo is trying to provoke us’

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Zimbabwe deploys army on border with Mozambique – “Renamo is trying to provoke us’

3:49 CAT | 22 Dec 2016

File photo / Emmerson Mnangagwa

Zimbabwe has deployed soldiers on the country’s border with Mozambique following a raid by suspected Renamo rebels resulting in the death of one person and loss of 49 cattle.

This was revealed during this Wednesday’s question and answer session in parliament by acting president Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Mnangagwa said the two countries’ Joint Operations Command (JOC) are already on the ground meeting with a view to come up with solutions to the security threat.

“It’s not the first but the second time this has happened,” he said.

“JOC Zimbabwe and JOC Mozambique have since yesterday (Tuesday) been in a meeting to see how best we can work together to ensure our people are protected.”

He added, “Some of the cattle were recovered.

“There are people with their disagreements, then there are Renamo bandits. They are the ones who are armed. They tied and took away one person, people heard the sound of firearms.

“Our chiefs followed and discovered the body. As security we have deployed our security, we are protecting those in the danger zone in military sense.

“The disaster protection unit is providing food and other needs. The local government is also assisting with relocations.”

The Mozambican government has been battling to capture the Renamo rebels who have been fighting to usurp power from the Frelimo government for years.

Mnangagwa said the rebels appear to be set on starting a war with the two neighbouring governments.

“Renamo is trying to provoke us,” Mnangagwa concluded.

He was responding to a question raised by Musikavanhu constituency member of parliament Prosper Mutseyami.

Mutseyami sought to understand how government was ensuring the safety of families in the danger zone as well as establish government assistance to those required to move from the buffer zone.

“I need to know what the government is doing to make these people don’t come again in a country with soldiers and also how it is assisting those told to vacate from the buffer zone,” the legislator has asked.

Source: New Zimbabwe