OUTSIDE LOOKING INRoy Bennett had been elected as MP for Manicaland in the year 2000. He
was enormously popular with the people, they loved him. He spoke their
language and identified with their suffering. He and his workers had
already experienced months of harassment and violence on his farm in
Chimanimani and the government had announced that they were taking over
his highly successful enterprise. The Minister of Justice at the time,
none other than Patrick Chinamasa, speaking in parliament said,
Mr Bennett has not forgiven the government for acquiring his farm but
he forgets that his forefathers were thieves and murderers. Incensed
by this deliberate insult, Roy Bennett charged across the floor of the
House rather like an angry white bull, shouting, Unoda kundijairira
iwewe! Unoda kuti ndiite sei? It was mesmerising television, not
something ZTV was noted for! I was sitting watching it all and the
Shona-speaking friends with me translated Bennett's words for my
benefit as You're just trying to get on my nerves! What do you want me
to do?
The scene that followed was pure slapstick but it had tragic results
for Roy Bennett. Charging across the Chamber, Bennett caught hold of
Chinamasa's collar and the Minister obligingly fell to the ground.
Laughter and cheers in my house but uproar in the august House! Bennett
was escorted from the Chamber by the Sergeant at Arms. Thanks to the
ZTV cameras the whole country had seen it. Roy Bennett was sentenced to
fifteen months in gaol, not by a court of law but by a Parliamentary
Committee. Eight horrifying months later, Bennett was released from
prison and left the country for exile in South Africa where he was
eventually given refugee status.
This week, the Roy Bennett story came full circle. Our joy at the
release of Jestina Mukoko and the other activists was overshadowed by
the failure to free Roy Bennett, also charged with terrorist'
offences. On Thursday, Supreme Court Judge Paddington Garwe, after a
vist from the Police Law and Order officers, refused to grant him bail
and Bennet is back in prison until his trial date is announced.
Meanwhile, the three whites arrested in Ruwa for so-called terrorist
offences have been released. They have no case to answer, the
magistrate ruled.
So why is Roy Bennett still in gaol? Originally, bail was granted by
Magistrate Livingstone Chipadze in Mutare and now we hear that Mr
Chipadze has been arrested. The unfortunate Mr Chipadze's only crime
appears to be that he delivered a judgement that the government found
unpalatable. And there lies one very significant clue to the reason for
Bennett's continued incarceration. It is a political decision taken at
the very top. There have been judgements and counter- judgements but
now the Supreme Court has ruled; Roy Bennett will remain in gaol
despite the fact that he has already paid the bail set by an earlier
ruling. The question remains; why is Roy Bennett still in gaol?
The answer, I suggest is a combination of factors but looking in from
the outside, and remembering that day in 2004, I believe it is sheer
vindictiveness on Chinamasa's part. One thing that made the former
Justice Minister so angry was the fact that Bennettt spoke in Shona in
the House. He actually demanded of Bennett at the time to know why he
was speaking in Shona. That, and the fact that Bennet had the love of
ordinary black Zimbabweans, enraged the Minister. When have Zanu PF
ever inspired the love of fellow Zimbabweans? Fear is the dominant
feeling inspired by Zanu PF, not love. Yet, here is a white man who
dares to speak the language of the people and enjoys their trust and
affection. That is not something Zanu PF can tolerate; they prefer to
portray all whites as the enemy within. Once they are forced to
acknowledge that there are some good whites who genuinely care for
their black brothers and sisters and whose sole loyalty is to Zimbabwe
and her people, the whole rotten edifice of Zanu PF political ideology
comes tumbling down. It is at heart a deeply racist ideology based on
past enmities and unable to accept that it is their own failure to
openly address the issue of black/white relations that has perpetuated
the myth of racial division in the country.
Roy Bennett, and the remaining white farmers who, said Mugabe at his
85th birthday celebration have no place on their farms, despite the
SADC ruling that they are entitled to remain, are victims of jealous
and petty-minded party officials whose only interest is in retaining
power and silencing all dissenting voices. By joining this so-called
Inclusive Government, the MDC risks being tarred with the same brush'.
Calling for the removal of sanctions as Morgan Tsvangirai did this week
is utterly illogical. It is not sanctions against individual Zanu PF
members that have destroyed Zimbabwe's economy; it is Zanu PF's
incompetence and greed and, above all, the politicisation of the courts
and the police. The continued detention of Roy Bennett perfectly
illustrates the point.
Yours in the (continuing) struggle PH aka Pauline Henson author of
Countdown a political detective story set in Zimbabwe and available on
lulu.com. Watch out also for Going Home, shortly to be published on
lulu.com.