ZRP, CIO launch manhunt for UK based editor

Harare – Despite the fact that everybody knows he lives and works in the UK, the Zimbabwe Republic police and the much-despised CIO have jointly launched a man hunt for the Editor of The Zimbabwean Newspaper, Wilf Mbanga. According to state television news last night, they are accusing him of publishing a story after the 2008 elections “which undermined President Robert Mugabe”.

ZBC reported that the police want to interrogate Mbanga over an article published in The Zimbabwean about the death in highly suspicious circumstances of the late Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Director for Polling, Ignatius Mushangwe.

ZBC says: “Superintendent An drew Phiri  said  the police  have issued  a warrant of arrest  to (sic) Mbanga for publishing  a story alleging that the late ZEC Director for Polling, Ignatius Mushangwe,  was  murdered after allegedly leaking the  Presidential results for the March 29 2008 elections.

In the report Mbanga claimed there was a meeting attended by President Mugabe, Emerson Mnangagwa and CIO Boss Happyton Bonyongwe, and former ZEC chairperson George Chiweshe among other ZEC officials with an agenda to eliminate Mushangwe.

“Chief Superintendent Phiri said police investigations have revealed that there was  no such meeting, adding that the news report was unfounded, misguided and was meant to tarnish the image of the President. Police believe Mbanga is staying in the UK.”

Mushangwe went missing during the run-up to the violent June 27 election run-off. His body was discovered by relatives in a mortuary in Norton five months after his disappearance.

Authoritative sources told journalists at that time that Mushangwe went missing on June 10 after attending a heated meeting of the multi-party liaison committee that comprised Zanu PF, MDC, police and the army. “This is a ridiculous waste of manpower and resources,” said Mbanga from the UK.

“I have lived here for six years and have been in telephone contact with the police PR department on numerous occasions seeking confirmation of stories. Instead of launching a manhunt for me in Zimbabwe, to soothe those egos I might have bruised, the ZRP would best serve the nation by hunting for the murderers of Mushangwe and others who have paid the ultimate price for democracy in our country. When can we expect ZRP to issue warrants of arrest for those who killed more than 200 people during the 2008 election period?” The Zimbabwean