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Civil society threatens to pelt Chinamasa

Politics
Civic organisations have come out guns blazing, threatening to organise a protest march and throw eggs at Justice and Legal Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa over his statement in Geneva, Switzerland, that Zimbabwe did not need security sector reforms. Chinamasa’s remarks infuriated civic society groups like the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), National Constitutional Assembly […]

Civic organisations have come out guns blazing, threatening to organise a protest march and throw eggs at Justice and Legal Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa over his statement in Geneva, Switzerland, that Zimbabwe did not need security sector reforms.

Chinamasa’s remarks infuriated civic society groups like the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) and Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition who have threatened to take action.

Speaking during a discussion organised by ZLHR this week titled Beyond the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) : Lessons for Zimbabwe, NCA chairperson Professor Lovemore Madhuku said Chinamasa must pay for his statements.

“One thing to make government respect the UPR processes will be to mob Chinamasa with eggs. It’s not a crime to throw eggs at any person. We just try to find him, organise a demo with eggs, one or two will throw eggs and say he was saying nonsense in Geneva. I will throw the first egg if you want.

“If you meet him, he thinks he knows everything, but has never been challenged except by (Roy) Bennett,” said Madhuku referring to an incident where the former Chimanimani MP shoved him to the ground in Parliament in 2004.

Contributing to the same debate, Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition director Macdonald Lewanika said governments should respect human rights.

“The dynamics are changing and things are not like what they used to be. There is lesser tolerance for dictatorship and human rights abuses,” he said.

Contacted for comment on Wednesday, Chinamasa said he was in a meeting and promised to call back, but he did not until the time of going to print. On Thursday, his phone went unanswered.

Chinamasa was quoted, speaking in Geneva as saying Zimbabwe would not entertain the recommendation for security sector reforms.

“On security sector reform, Zimbabwe will not even entertain the recommendation. Reform for who? For what? How dare they recommend that to those who fought against colonialism and all its ugliness, i. e., racism, injustices, discrimination, oppression, torture, exploitation and total dehumanisation, should go. Go where? We will not be complacent and allow the creeping in of neo-colonialism,” said Chinamasa in his address to the Universal Periodic Review session.