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(TALKZIMBABWE) Mutambara, Gifford: Zimbabwe's two political comedians

Mutambara, Gifford: Zimbabwe's two political comedians
Peter Chimutsa - Opinion
Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:16:00 +0000

DEAR EDITOR - Yesterday I read two interesting pieces of news on SW Radio Africa that were not only laughable, but could not go unchallenged. The first one was a statement by Commercial Farmers' Union chief Trevor Gifford and the other by Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara.

Mr Gifford said he was compiling a list of farm invaders that will be used in aiding the process of national healing someday. Mr Gifford takes us for fools. This arrogance by the white commercial farmers is the source of some of the problems we experience in Zimbabwe today.

If he wanted his organisation to be part of the national healing exercise, he should let the authorities do their work and not run these vigilantism and parallel processes disguised as national in agenda. We know whose interest the CFU protects. They have never wanted to be part of any national exercise.

Mr Gifford should tell black Zimbabweans what happened to their ancestral lands pre-1980 and where the graves of their forefathers are today before he tries to lecture people about land rights and some of these very illusive concepts he dreams about.

I would challenge the CFU to start their compilation from as far back as the 1930s when notorious pieces of legislation, that removed blacks from their lands, were introduced in Zimbabwe.

Trying to mask the compilation of this list as part of the national healing process is cheap politicking. Why does he forget about the healing of those blacks who were tortured and beaten off their lands? Who is going to draw the list for the Tangwena people and all those other people who were dispossessed? Why are they not going to be included in the CFU's list?

Mr Gifford surely cannot determine when he wants the history of Zimbabwe to start. Many comrades died to get that stolen land and that fight will never be reversed by anyone. He should stop day-dreaming and start living in the real world.

Even the GPA is clear on the land issue: it is simply irreversible.

DPM Mutambara told SWRA that the National Heroes Acre must be a national shrine not just a Zanu PF shrine. He said a National Heroes Selection Board is going to be created that will be above politics, is non-partisan, and involves the private sector and civil society.

I do not know where the DPM, who has now transformed into a caricature character, get these ideas sometimes. There are many non-Zanu PF comrades who lie today at the Heroes' Acre. In any case, it is a resting place for people who fought in the liberation struggle, not for musicians and his so-called private sector and civil society. Every country, even Britain has a place where those who fought in major wars lie.

Maybe DPM Mutambara is flirting with the idea that one day his bones will lie at the national shrine. He can continue day-dreaming.

If DPM Mutambara wants civil society and private sector people to be honoured, he should propose another place where these people can be buried. The national shrine is for those people who fought in the liberation struggle; not for comedians like him.
__________________

Peter Chimutsa
peterchimutsa@yahoo.com

Labels: ARTHUR MUTAMBARA, CFU, COLONIALISM, LAND REFORM, LAND RIGHTS, TREVOR GIFFORD

posted by MrK @ 11:18 PM