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Rutendo Rori Harare Bureau
THE Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) has dismissed rumours that it will embark on massive recruitment in various provinces starting in February this year.

The ZDF said the falsehoods were published in some private newspapers and social media, resulting in the ZDF being flooded with calls from people seeking clarification on the information.

“The Zimbabwe Defence Forces hereby refutes and disapproves rumours being perpetrated by some unruly elements within our society that the ZDF is on the verge of a massive recruitment exercise,” the ZDF said in a statement.

“The ZDF would like to advise the general public that there’s no such recruitment exercise intended now or in the near future as propagated.

“To this end, the public is hereby informed that the ZDF will follow the normal channels of communicating to the public whenever intentions to recruit arise. The public is therefore requested to ignore these false pronouncements.”

The privately-owned NewsDay, in its January 19 edition, published a story claiming that the government had announced plans to recruit more soldiers.

It claimed that the Zimbabwe National Army and the Air Force of Zimbabwe would recruit in various provinces starting next month.

Earlier this week, the Air Force of Zimbabwe’s Director General Operations Air Commodore Innocent Chiganze said the message was meant to fleece desperate job seekers.

He said: “The Air Force of Zimbabwe has been inundated with calls being made by people inquiring on a recruitment exercise message which is circulating on the social media.

“The message indicates that ‘the AFZ is recruiting Aircraft Technicians, Regiment, Fire Fighters, Nurses, Drivers, Plumbers, Intelligence and Pilots’. The message goes on to give academic qualifications required and reveals that more information will be published in The Sunday Mail on February 7, 2016.

“The AFZ would like to advise the general public that there is no such recruitment on its plans. People should ignore this message and report anyone purporting to represent the AFZ in any recruitment exercise.”

Air Commodore Chiganze said the AFZ does not advertise through the social media.

“When there is recruitment taking place, adverts are made through the print and electronic media,” he said.