Caleb Mutfwang has clarified why he stood on an armoured vehicle while addressing residents during his condolence visit to the Angwan Rukuba community, following the killing of about 30 people in a Palm Sunday attack.

The governor, who visited the community on Monday amid protests by grieving residents, drew public attention after videos showed him addressing the crowd from inside an armoured vehicle.

Speaking during an interview with Channels Television on Friday, Mutfwang said the decision was based on logistics rather than security concerns.

According to him, the armoured vehicle provided an elevated position that enabled him to communicate effectively with the large crowd.

“From the height I stood, part of the reason they put me in the ATC was for me to gain height in order to address the crowd,” he said.

He added that residents had reassured him of their safety while he engaged them.

“As I addressed the crowd and they were comfortable that I had arrived, that’s why they were saying, ‘come, come,’ assuring me that I could come and that there was no harm.”

Mutfwang, however, criticised reactions on social media, accusing some commentators of misrepresenting the situation.

“If not for mischief, why are people not focusing on where I spent 90 per cent of the time with the crowd, seeing the corpses, appealing to people, calming people?” he said.

He further emphasised that while he personally felt safe among the residents, security protocols had to be maintained.

“You could see that social media can take a small portion and misrepresent it completely. I was comfortable with the people. I knew the people were not going to harm me, but the security had to.”