Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has rubbished the August 1 shootings inquiry report made public by President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday, saying there is no guarantee that the report was not doctored to suit the ruling Zanu PF.
Addressing journalists in Harare today, MDC spokesperson, Jacob Mafume said Mnangagwa was too compromised to scrutinize the commission’s report as he played a role in the deployment of soldiers who shot and killed six innocent civilians.
“How can you submit the report to a person who is under investigation prior to the issue. It makes one wonder whether the report was doctored or had additions.
“How do you release a report and read it when you were primarily the target of the investigation, it is like an accused in a court of law reading his judgement,” said Mafume.
He accused the Motlanthe commission of failing the nation by not deliberating on how the victims were to be compensated.
“Where in the world does a commission report come out like this, If our law is wrong and if there was good faith the President could have said, with this particular commission because I myself and my institutions are under investigation we will wave this law, and let the commission conduct its work independently.
“The commission could have easily come up with compensation quantum instead of letting the government that harmed these persons to come up with compensation regimes,” he said.
The Commission of Inquiry report was made public yesterday and as part of its findings implicated the army and police for shooting innocent civilians on the fateful day.
The report also blamed the MDC for making inflammatory statements that could have incited people to go into the streets.
As part of its recommendations, the commission of inquiry called on parliament to enact laws that compel the electoral management body to adopt technological tools to enable quick collation of results.
