News / National
Strip Chinotimba of Human Rights Award - Former Tsvangirai aide
12 Jan 2015 at 15:54hrs | Views
Former advisor to MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai, Alex Magaisa has criticised a recent decision by Zim Rights to award war veteran and Zanu PF MP Joseph Chinotimba with the Human Rights Defender Award.
Magaisa in an article titled, "The Chinotimba Dilemma" criticising the move suggested that Zim Rights still had a chance of correcting their blunder by stripping Chinotimba of the award.
He said reports that Chinotimba invaded a farm occupied by Collin Gura, a fellow black farmer, in Chipinge, Manicaland Province showed that the war veteran who co-led farm invasions with the late Chenjerai Hunzvi was greedy.
"Chinotimba already has a farm in prime territory elsewhere in the country but this latest land-grabbing venture is apparently intended for the benefit of his son.
"Never mind the logistics or the legalities of the exercise, the fact that, in this day and age, a politician who some thought had shown some progressive characteristics recently, is going around taking land by force and dispossessing a fellow Zimbabwean is nothing short of despicable greed and selfishness," wrote Magaisa.
"When you consider that the current user and occupier has invested a lot of resources on the property, in a farming venture that is long-term, one can see the callousness and cruelty of it all. There is no justification for such conduct – not in this day and age.
"It is just abuse of power, really, and there is nothing honourable or heroic about it.
It is this kind of conduct that kills hopes for a country that is in dire need of goodwill from all quarters and better image-management."
Mgaisa said the award was an embarrassing moment for Zim Rights.
"As for ZimRights, this must, surely, be an embarrassing chapter for them. Their decision in December was ill-judged, whatever their efforts at explaining it.If, as is likely, they did it to appease and encourage Zanu PF and its members, that they can be rewarded if they behave well, then clearly, Chinotimba's latest antics have reminded them of the basic truth that as a general rule, policies of appeasement do not work," he wrote.
"But they must also remember that just as awards are given, they can also be withdrawn. Indeed, that they have the option of withdrawing that award, suggests that the award itself could turn out to be a blessing in disguise after all, for withdrawal would be a big statement of disapproval. And a reaffirmation of common sense."
Magaisa in an article titled, "The Chinotimba Dilemma" criticising the move suggested that Zim Rights still had a chance of correcting their blunder by stripping Chinotimba of the award.
He said reports that Chinotimba invaded a farm occupied by Collin Gura, a fellow black farmer, in Chipinge, Manicaland Province showed that the war veteran who co-led farm invasions with the late Chenjerai Hunzvi was greedy.
"Chinotimba already has a farm in prime territory elsewhere in the country but this latest land-grabbing venture is apparently intended for the benefit of his son.
"Never mind the logistics or the legalities of the exercise, the fact that, in this day and age, a politician who some thought had shown some progressive characteristics recently, is going around taking land by force and dispossessing a fellow Zimbabwean is nothing short of despicable greed and selfishness," wrote Magaisa.
"It is just abuse of power, really, and there is nothing honourable or heroic about it.
It is this kind of conduct that kills hopes for a country that is in dire need of goodwill from all quarters and better image-management."
Mgaisa said the award was an embarrassing moment for Zim Rights.
"As for ZimRights, this must, surely, be an embarrassing chapter for them. Their decision in December was ill-judged, whatever their efforts at explaining it.If, as is likely, they did it to appease and encourage Zanu PF and its members, that they can be rewarded if they behave well, then clearly, Chinotimba's latest antics have reminded them of the basic truth that as a general rule, policies of appeasement do not work," he wrote.
"But they must also remember that just as awards are given, they can also be withdrawn. Indeed, that they have the option of withdrawing that award, suggests that the award itself could turn out to be a blessing in disguise after all, for withdrawal would be a big statement of disapproval. And a reaffirmation of common sense."
Source - Byo24News
