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Takunda Maodza Assistant News Editor
THE First Family’s Gushungo Holdings, trading as Alpha Omega Dairy (Pvt) Ltd, does not have any business interests in Equatorial Guinea and Alpha Media Holdings must explain why it fabricated a story claiming President Mugabe’s travel to the West African nation on official business was linked to personal interests, the company said yesterday.

In an interview with The Herald in Mazowe, Gushungo Holdings general manager Mr Stanley Nhari dismissed as shocking and malicious a report in the NewsDay yesterday claiming President Mugabe and First Lady, Dr Grace Mugabe, were flying to Equatorial Guinea to sign multi-million dollar contracts involving Gushungo Holdings.

The President, who is AU chairman, is due to attend an Ebola follow-up conference in Equatorial Guinea. NewsDay did not bother to seek a comment from Gushungo Holdings.

It quoted unnamed sources throughout the article, which it planted on the front page.

“As management at Alpha Omega Dairy, we were shocked and surprised by the article which is false, malicious, and we believe that the author of the story did not consult. Had they consulted, we would have told them the correct position,” said Mr Nhari.

He added: “As Alpha Omega Dairy (Pvt) Ltd or Gushungo Holdings we don’t have any business interests or negotiations with anyone related to the alleged false story. The author of the story must be in a position to state reasons as to why they have generated such a false and unjustified story.”

Mr Nhari said the newspaper did not consult Gushungo Holdings before publishing the story.

“I am in charge of Gushungo Holdings. I lead the team. In actual fact, I am the face of the organisation. Nothing relating to business is done without my knowledge and every newspaper is aware of who is in charge at Gushungo Holdings or Alpha Omega Dairy (Pvt) Ltd,” said Mr Nhari.

“If they wanted to seek clarity, my office has an open door policy so that anyone, even without an appointment, can come and seek my comment on anything to do with Gushungo Holdings or Alpha Omega Dairy (Pvt) Ltd,” he said.

Mr Nhari said customers and Gushungo Holdings associates should not be worried by the false report in the NewsDay.

“I am actually trying to think why one would raise such a false allegation. I am surprised and cannot get an answer. It would be better for the media, both print and electronic, to find out from the authors of the story what their intention is of publishing what is not true and which damages the reputation of the organisation and misleads the public,” he said.

NewsDay has developed a knack for false reports on the First Family.

In March, the newspaper lied that Cabinet was no longer meeting because President Mugabe was always out of the country.

It later retracted the story.