THE Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services has advised members of the public that public communication involving the First Family should be conducted through official channels only.
Permanent Secretary in the ministry Mr George Charamba yesterday said the ministry was concerned about criminal elements that have opened social media accounts to extort money from people.
“The Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services wishes to advise members of the public that public communication involving the First Family is conducted through official channels only. This advisory comes against reports of rampant abuse of social media platforms by some criminal elements who have opened social media accounts to extort money from unsuspecting members of the public,” said Mr Charamba.
He urged members of the public to report any suspicious communication about the First Family to the police.
“Kindly note, therefore, that any communication ascribed to the First Family riding on social media platforms but which are outside the official channels should be treated with caution and in any case, cross checked with the ministry or the Office of the President and Cabinet. Members of the public are encouraged to report any such fraudulent communication to the police so that the culprits are brought to book,” said Mr Charamba.
As Charamba is the Presidential spokesperson, it is his duty to protect and officially speak on behalf of the Office of the President – past and present. For that reason, Charamba had to breathe fire on behalf of the same Grace who dressed him down in public at a Youth Interface Rally that took place in Chinhoyi on 28 July 2017.
The then First lady and Zanu PF women’s league boss and G40 ‘Chief Executive’, Grace Mugabe, openly humiliated her husband’s official spokesman George Charamba for not reprimanding the media for attacking Saviour Kasukuwere who was at the time Zanu PF National Commissar and then Higher Education Minister Jonathan Moyo day-in and day-out.
She said she wanted to tell the truth because the media was being used to malign Kasukuwere and Moyo with even allegations that Kasukuwere wanted to remove President Mugabe.
“Every day we read about Kasukuwere. If it’s not him, then it’s Professor Moyo. People have gone to the extent of coming up with non-existent corruption cases,” the First Lady said.
Summoning Charamba, who doubles as the Permanent Secretary for Information Ministry, to come forward and stand in front of thousands of party supporters who had come to attend the rally, Grace gravely humilited Charamba and said: “George, I have known you for a while, way before you were appointed to your current position and before I was First Lady.So, I want to reprimand you as your mother. You are junior to ministers. I notice there are some people who get favourable coverage and others not. Why?”
Watch Video below for Grace’s full attack on Charamba.
