(STICKY) (TALKZIMBABWE) War vets say no human rights lectures from Coltart

Thursday, November 11, 2010

(STICKY) (TALKZIMBABWE) War vets say no human rights lectures from Coltart

War vets say no human rights lectures from Coltart
By: Floyd Nkomo
Posted: Thursday, November 11, 2010 11:19 am

THE vice president of the Zimbabwe Liberation War Veterans’ Association, Joseph Chinotimba, yesterday slammed Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart over his claims that there was genocide in Matabeleland.

Chinotimba dismissed the claims saying the only genocide in Zimbabwe had been perpetrated by Minister Coltart’s kith and kin against blacks during colonialism; who systematically killed people with black skin.

He said Coltart was not qualified to talk about human rights in Zimbabwe and asked why Coltart was quiet on the 50 000 "comrades" who were killed by Ian Smith during the Chimurenga war; in Nyadzonia and Chimoio, among other places.

"The article was a despicable attack on war veterans and all Zimbabweans.

"The utterances are unacceptable and an insult to our country’s liberation struggle, national reconciliation and the legacy of national independence."

Chinotimba said Zanu-PF and PF-Zapu had merged to form a united Zanu-PF in 1987 and the spirit of reconciliation was being cultivated in Zimbabwe; but the minister was trying to stir up controversy for political gains.

He added that a "man like Coltart cannot preach human rights to us, we brought democracy to that country which the whites denied us for very long in our own country."

"If Coltart wants to open up old wounds, let him come out in the open," said Chinotimba.

"It is quite preposterous in the extreme for Coltart to preach about human rights violations and post-independence disturbances when taking into cognisance his background as a former member of the brutal and murderous Rhodesian Selous Scouts," he said.

He added: "Coltart owes us and the rest of the nation an apology within seven days. We cannot continue folding our hands and watch former Rhodesians insulting us.

"Your utterances have given us second thoughts on those white farmers who are still on our land yet you benefited from the reconciliation policy."

In a separate interview with NewsDay, Chinotimba said the war veterans will never salute MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai even if he won elections.

He said Tsvangirai should salute those people who brought independence and democracy to Zimbabwe, which they were denied by the minority white governments.

"He (Tsvangirai) should clearly understand who war veterans are and why they are important in Zimbabwe. If he does not salute us, it would become a very big problem," said Chinotimba.

Chinotimba said whites used free and cheap labour on the farms they stole from blacks, and black resettled farmers are paying those people and their dignity has now been restored.

"When the whites took over our land, the Rhodesian Front supported them with cheap labour by Africans and they never paid for electricity and water," said the angry Chinotimba.

When asked about divisions among war veterans, Chinotimba said the only divisions he knows are those in the MDC.

""Have you ever heard of a group called War Veterans –Mugabe or War Veterans – Nkomo?'he asked.

Labels: DAVID COLTART, JOSEPH CHINOTIMBA, WAR VETERANS