According to Chitando’s post, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai came face-to-face with the victims during his tour of the province. I hope his aide managed to capture some of the evidence, and that he will take this up at his next meeting with President and Commander-in-Chief, Comrade Mugabe, at their next meeting.
The PM must propose to Mugabe that all leaders of political parties that intend to participate in the next elections (Mugabe, Tsvangirai himself, Professor Ncube, Dr. Makoni, Dr. Dabengwa and any others we may not know) must tour the troubled spots in the country and tell their supporters that anyone who will be found to be involved in political violence against perceived opponents, must be arrested and tried.
It is highly likely that the perpetrators of violence are sponsored by politicians who want to contest in the respective constituencies.
To have their sentence reduced, the perpetrators must name their sponsors, who should also be tried, and if found guilty, should be given longer sentences. The sentences for the perpetrators should be reduced for their cooperation in identifying the brains behind acts of violence.
The South African President has already stressed that Zimbabwe does not deserve another June 2008 experience, and I hope that if he feels that the situation is beyond SADC alone, he will call on the African Union, who in turn should also invite the United Nations to monitor the situation to ensure that a free and fair election is held. – Benjamin Chitate, New Zealand
Post published in: Letters to the Editor