Speaking on Tuesday morning, Mnangagwa said he will institute a probe into alleged misconduct by members of the security forces who are being accused by civil society groups of beating up and murdering protesters.
“Misconduct will be investigated. If required, heads will roll,” Mnangagwa wrote on his Twitter account.
He described the alleged atrocities committed by soldiers and members of the paramilitary riot police unit as “betrayal of the new Zimbabwe” and called for national dialogue to discuss the problems facing the country.
The Zimbabwean leader commented soon after arriving home from a four-nation trip that saw him visit Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
He was forced to cancel a trip to Switzerland where he was due to attend the World Economic Forum in order to deal with the volatile political climate following last week’s violent repression of the protest by armed forces.
At least 12 people were killed and 78 treated for gunshot injuries, according to the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, which recorded more than 240 incidents of assault and torture.
About 700 people have been arrested.