Zimbabwe war prisoners to sue Britain for Smith regime atrocities

Former Prisoners of War Association of Zimbabwe (FPOWZ), Hurungwe - Nyaminyami Chapter in Mashonaland West Province, has resolved to sue the British government for atrocites committed against its members during the Ian Smith regime.

Association secretarygeneral Mr Stone Chakabvapasi said they made several efforts to get compensation from the former colonisers without success.

"We wrote them several times giving them our side of the story. The type of arguments they are presenting are not in sync with the reality. Since 2000 we have been giving them our side of the story while they have always been hiding behind the finger claiming that the Ian Smith's was a rogue administration for which they should not be held responsible," said Chakabvapasi.

The British Government responded to the association on October 3, 2012 through Wayne Ives - the head of the Zimbabwe Unit, Africa Directorate.

"First and foremost, let me reiterate the UK Government's firm commitment to advancing human rights and our condemnation of torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment .Torture is an abhorrent violation of human rights and human dignity and the UK has and will continue to condemn such practices unreservedly.

"The dates of these cases all fall during either the period of the administration of the Rhodesian Colonial Government or of the Smith Government following his Unilateral Declaration of Independence(UDI). As Alluded to in my letter of November 8, 2011, any claims for the way in which you and your colleagues were treated by those authorities would therefore lie against whichever of them was in power at the time and not against UK Government," he said.

"Issues concerning the liabilities of the Colonial Administration were dealt with at the time of Zimbabwe's Independence. Further, I note that the Zimbabwe Act 1979 provides a general amnesty under UK law for any proceedings in tort or reparation brought within the UK in respect of certain activities which occurred before Zimbabwe became independent. As such we are unlikely to hold any in respect of incidents that occurred after November 11, 1965."

Despite claims by the British Government that it should not be held responsible for the atrocities and therefore compensation, Chakabvapasi said his association was engaging International Human Rights Lawyers.

"We are consulting International Human Rights Lawyers so that they file a suit against the British government over the matter.

"The matter is obviously going to be heard at a London Court.

"We are demanding compensation to the tune of 30 million pounds. Their argument is very cheap.

Why did Rhodesian governor Lord Soames and Prince Charles come here to lower the Union Jack on April 18, 1980, if the British government had nothing to do with Ian Smith? said Mr Chakabvapasi.