Hate speech lands Chinamasa in trouble

Chinamasa was addressing a tension-filled Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (Jomic) meeting at Nhedziwa Business Centre meant to find solutions to political violence that rocked the area recently.

At least 12 MDC-T activists from the area have sought refuge at the party’s provincial offices after they fled their homes following attacks by alleged Zanu PF supporters.

Another 32 are living with friends and relatives after fleeing their homes. Chinamasa said people who promoted sanctions and opposed the land reform were enemies.

He fell short of telling the victims of political violence that they were lying and lambasted them for “rushing” to Mutare instead of reporting their cases to the police.

As he was speaking, Zanu PF supporters ululated and interjected, mocking the visibly shaken MDC-T activists, who were bused from Mutare for the meeting.

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MDC-T representative in Jomic, Tabitha Khumalo accused Chinamasa of turning the meeting into a Zanu PF rally instead of preaching tolerance.

“By your speech you activated the structures of violence in this area,” the clearly agitated MP openly told Chinamasa soon after the meeting attended by about 3 000 villagers.

“There is going to be terror here after we leave. This is definitely unacceptable.”

Chinamasa walked away as Khumalo was speaking loudly. During his address Chinamasa urged the villagers to desist from any form of violence to promote national development.

However, his speech was punctuated with what members of the  MDC formations regarded as inciting political violence and inflicting more pain to victims of violence who were present at the meeting.

Khumalo also accused Chimanasa of sloganeering during the meeting. MDC representative Frank Chamunorwa and MDC-T MPs Pishai Muchauraya and Lynnete Karenyi also accused the minister of being insincere.

Chinamasa denied inciting violence saying his statements reflected what was in the Global Political Agreement (GPA).

“I was articulating the provisions of the GPA article IV,” said Chinamasa.

After the meeting, MD-T activists who had high hopes of returning to their homes refused to remain behind as the political temperature was unbearable for them.

Mother of five, Violet Mambondiyani, whose home was burnt to the ground castigated Jomic saying it had not helped to ease the tension in the area.

“The first time we were left by Jomic in the hands of the police but after a few days our homes were burnt by people we know but nothing happened to them despite reporting to the police,” she said.

“If these guys leave us here we will be killed.”