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ZIMBABWE: President sets up panel to probe soldiers over deaths during post-election violence

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ZIMBABWE: President sets up panel to probe soldiers over deaths during post-election violence

President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe has kept to his promise to set up a panel to probe the killing of six civilians in an army crackdown during post-election violence.

Reports say Mnangagwa on Wednesday named a commission including a South African ex-president and a British human rights lawyer to investigate the incident.

According to Mnangagwa the panel would be expected to make public its findings within three months after probing soldiers role in post-election violence.

Mnangagwa told reporters that one of the terms of reference of the panel included establishing whether the degree of force used by the army was appropriate.

“The terms of reference are as follows, to identify the actors and their leaders, their motive and strategies employed in the protests, to investigate the circumstances which necessitated the involvement of the military in assisting the maintenance of law and order,” said the president.

Read also: US court slams 26-yr-old woman with 5-yr jail term for leaking NSA documents

Recall that Zimbabwe’s main opposition party leader Nelson Chamisa, 40, of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) alliance had rejected a court ruling on election challenge, saying he has a legitimate claim to lead the country.

The election victory of President Mnangagwa was earlier upheld by a Constitutional Court paving the way for the inauguration of the newly elected leader.

After unanimously dismissing the bid by the MDC to annul the results of last month’s presidential election, Chief Justice Luke Malaba said the party failed to prove fraud allegations during the elections.

 

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