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NewsDay

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Comment: SK Moyo utterances in bad taste

Columnists
We reported in Tuesday’s edition of NewsDay that Zanu PF national chairman Simon Khaya Moyo has encouraged his party supporters to hit back at opponents if attacked. His highly regrettable utterances came just a day after the high-profile meeting of principals to the unstable government of national unity, President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai […]

We reported in Tuesday’s edition of NewsDay that Zanu PF national chairman Simon Khaya Moyo has encouraged his party supporters to hit back at opponents if attacked.

His highly regrettable utterances came just a day after the high-profile meeting of principals to the unstable government of national unity, President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and leader of the smaller MDC Welshman Ncube, who agreed to a peace pact.

NewsDay is in possession of the draft peace pact. During the indaba, President Mugabe implored the police to be impartial when dealing with all political players.

But Khaya Moyo’s remarks are the clearest indication there are individuals bent on taking the law into their hands.

Retaliation should be in the form of reporting to the police who are mandated by the Constitution to maintain peace in the country.

Under normal circumstances if MDC supporters attack Zanu PF supporters, or vice versa, the police should deal with the matter in a professional manner.

It is not the responsibility of the victims to take the law into their own hands and hit back. If they do that, we create an uncivilised society that does not appreciate that there are legal instruments crafted to deal with those kinds of issues.

Khaya Moyo’s sentiments, coming from a high-level official, point to the fact that there could be people in his party who are bent on throwing spanners into the works as the country searches its soul in the hope of bringing the culture of violence to an end. An eye for an eye, Comrade Chairman, makes the world go blind.

While people are butchering each other and plucking out each other’s eyes, Khaya Moyo and his like will be ensconced in the comfort of their homes and offices – they have no medical bills or funeral costs to worry about.

If Khaya Moyo’s allegiance still lies with President Mugabe, then he has to retract his statement which is meant to incite violence at a time when Zimbabwe is crying out for peace and a culture of tolerance.

It is our prayer that Khaya Moyo will realise the error of his ways and repent because he has become the discordant strand in the current political rhythm.

With his experience in the political trenches, Khaya Moyo must know better that violence does not pay and has never been an effective way to resolve political disputes.

His sentiments, which also come at a time when the Organ on National Healing, Integration and Reconciliation is working round the clock to ensure healing and peace among Zimbabweans, are regrettable!