Zimbabwe's opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa, has reportedly applauded the country's military but has also criticised the ruling Zanu-PF party for using it to kill civilians after the country's crunch elections last month.
According to New Zimbabwe.com, in his Defence Forces Day commemoration message this week, Chamisa said that the army had done well in various missions but had been used by his ruling party opponents to kill defenceless civilians after the country's contested election on July 30.
An AP report last week said that the southern African country's first election had been marred by rigging allegations, the army opening fire on opposition demonstrators killing six people, and accusations of a security crackdown on opposition supporters.
Chamisa criticised the Zanu-PF government saying it acted with impunity and was using the country's defence forces to carry out its political objectives.
Chamisa accused the Zanu-PF party of continued attempts to tarnish the image of the armed forces.
"These politicians have tried to exploit our men and women in uniforms, reducing them to pawns, to prop up their political ambitions," Chamisa was quoted as saying.
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