Opinion / Columnist
Zimbabwe Exiles angrily reacts to Malema's praise of Mugabe
07 Jul 2015 at 17:10hrs | Views
The Zimbabwe Exiles Forum (ZEF) today angrily reacted to the gushing praise given by Julius Malema, Economic Freedom Front (EFF) leader yesterday to President Mugabe of Zimbabwe. In a statement released today, ZEF's Chairperson and human rights lawyer Gabriel Shumba said that the organization was "outraged and disgusted that the EFF President, who a few weeks ago was condemning xenophobic violence in South Africa, was now apparently in condonation of President Mugabe's atrocities that have forced millions into exile."
In his speech quoted on News24 yesterday, Julius Malema is quoted saying about President Mugabe that "How do you say a man who has won elections is a tyrant? He has never preceded over any massacre of our people; he continues to lead a party that advocates for very radical economic policies in Zimbabwe."
"ZEF believes that the statements by Julius Malema that President Mugabe is an economic champion of the black people, is not a tyrant and has not committed any massacres in Zimbabwe is at odds with the realities that has forced close to a quarter of Zimbabwe's population into foreign lands. It is only Julius Malema who appears blind to the fact that the United Nations called operation Murambatsvina a crime against humanity. It is only Julius Malema who sees the 1980's genocide in Matebeleland as no atrocity. Some of us who were tortured for standing up for human rights and were forced to seek sanctuary in South Africa find this statement not only insensitive but also appalling from a leader that is now a role model for some youths on the continent," said Shumba. The human rights advocate also added that President Mugabe has never won any free and fair election in Zimbabwe, hence the country's international isolation.
"If President Mugabe was a darling of the Zimbabwean people, there would not be any need to silence dissent and abduct and torture human rights activists and opponents. If he had been an economic champion, we would not have a situation where over 85% of our people are unemployed and the social infrastructure has been devastated. Evidently, we would not now be dependent on food handouts from the United Nations, which handouts are distributed along party lines."
The human rights lawyer went on to say that it is "extremely hypocritical to say that African presidents should flout their constitutions to demand third terms, whereas in South Africa this should not be so. This statement clearly betrays the mentality that Africa is where bad things including dictatorship, hunger and disease should happen, and South Africa is another world." Mr Shumba ended by calling upon the EFF President to make time to meet him so that he would explain the situation in Zimbabwe "with the needed clarity, otherwise Mr Malema's statement has the dangerous potential of fueling more hate and xenophobia against Zimbabweans in the Republic of South Africa."
ZEF calls upon the EFF President to apologise to all the victims of crimes against humanity in Zimbabwe and across the world.
Zimbabwe Exiles Forum
357 Visagie Street, Pretoria 0001
Mobile+ 27 84 664 9798
Fax-to-Email 0866185858
In his speech quoted on News24 yesterday, Julius Malema is quoted saying about President Mugabe that "How do you say a man who has won elections is a tyrant? He has never preceded over any massacre of our people; he continues to lead a party that advocates for very radical economic policies in Zimbabwe."
"ZEF believes that the statements by Julius Malema that President Mugabe is an economic champion of the black people, is not a tyrant and has not committed any massacres in Zimbabwe is at odds with the realities that has forced close to a quarter of Zimbabwe's population into foreign lands. It is only Julius Malema who appears blind to the fact that the United Nations called operation Murambatsvina a crime against humanity. It is only Julius Malema who sees the 1980's genocide in Matebeleland as no atrocity. Some of us who were tortured for standing up for human rights and were forced to seek sanctuary in South Africa find this statement not only insensitive but also appalling from a leader that is now a role model for some youths on the continent," said Shumba. The human rights advocate also added that President Mugabe has never won any free and fair election in Zimbabwe, hence the country's international isolation.
"If President Mugabe was a darling of the Zimbabwean people, there would not be any need to silence dissent and abduct and torture human rights activists and opponents. If he had been an economic champion, we would not have a situation where over 85% of our people are unemployed and the social infrastructure has been devastated. Evidently, we would not now be dependent on food handouts from the United Nations, which handouts are distributed along party lines."
The human rights lawyer went on to say that it is "extremely hypocritical to say that African presidents should flout their constitutions to demand third terms, whereas in South Africa this should not be so. This statement clearly betrays the mentality that Africa is where bad things including dictatorship, hunger and disease should happen, and South Africa is another world." Mr Shumba ended by calling upon the EFF President to make time to meet him so that he would explain the situation in Zimbabwe "with the needed clarity, otherwise Mr Malema's statement has the dangerous potential of fueling more hate and xenophobia against Zimbabweans in the Republic of South Africa."
ZEF calls upon the EFF President to apologise to all the victims of crimes against humanity in Zimbabwe and across the world.
Zimbabwe Exiles Forum
357 Visagie Street, Pretoria 0001
Mobile+ 27 84 664 9798
Fax-to-Email 0866185858
Source - ZEF
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