An off-duty soldier from the Zimbabwe National Army’s elite Special Air Services (SAS) regiment is reported to have been arrested after he was found with a loaded pistol at the Heroes Day Commemorations at the National Heroes Acre.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa was presiding at the event. According to The Zimbabwe Independent, the soldier and members of the military are well aware that guns are strictly controlled around the president. Sources who spoke to The Zimbabwe Independent said,
A loaded handgun was detected at a standard security screening point and caused a major security scare at the Heroes’ Acre. It was later discovered that the man was a member of the SAS. This was after he had been taken to Harare Central Police Station. People from that army unit’ then came in the evening and took him away from police custody and that is why you have not seen him appearing in court.
…the whole programme at the shrine had to be hurried and some items on the programme were omitted for security reasons. If you noticed, the president, after his speech, only went to pay respects to the tomb of the Unknown Soldier and left the place without the customary visits to graves of some iconic heroes like Joshua Nkomo. It was deemed too risky for him to spend more time at the shrine,
…Since the Bulawayo incident guns are tightly controlled; I and those in the army particularly know this. We wonder why he went there with a gun.
The police and the army did not comment on the matter.
