MDC Alliance vice president Tendai Biti has apologized over his offensive social media post in which he stereotypically insinuated that people from Chipinge practiced witchcraft.
Biti had tweeted that Professor Lovemore Madhuku’s interpretation of Section 96(2) of the constitution which deals with resignation of vice presidents was pure witchcraft and before highlighting that the learned professor was from Chipinge.
The reference to Chipinge was viewed by some Zimbabweans as tribalistic and offensive forcing Biti to delete and alter his message.
In a tweet thread this morning, Biti said he overlooked the extent of the fragile national question that excluded certain communities.
“In the afternoon I pulled down a tweet made in connection with Prof Madhuku’s interpretation of section 96(2) of the constitution. The context of that tweet is explained below. Clearly in my banter with Lovemore, whom I have known for over 20 years & worked with very closely in the law , in the struggle and in personal spaces I overlooked the huge extent of the fragile national question marginalization alienation and exclusion of certain communities in Zimbabwe,” wrote Biti
He went on to chronicle the history of the minority communities which he said were reviled by the Zanu PF regime.
“I have lived with this discrimination and exclusion throughout my life. I have recently seen this isolation and disillusionment on our recent visit to Chilonga. Chipinge is no different. Ironically like Chiredzi it was part of the Gaza State established by Soshangane and his descendant Ngungunyane With the fall of the Gaza State colonial Rhodesia plundered Gazaland. The native Ndau ,Tsonga, Shangaan communities were plundered off their land into Tribal Reserves such as Musikavanhu, Muusha , Mutema, Mtambara, Sengwezi,Ngorima North and South.
“Settlers took thousands of acres with one family, the Moodie family grabbing 108 000 acres. Post to independent Zim has totally ignored this region save a scattering of a few irrigation schemes. Cyclone Idai brutally exposed the regime’s exclusion of Gazaland now Chipinge. Part of the reason was regime’s hatred and fear of Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole, the founder of #ZANU
“As a young lawyer I had the honor and privilege of defending Rev Sithole in his treason trial of 1997. I spent huge amounts of time with him at his home in Waterfalls. He left personal notes & some prison notebooks. He is easily the most brilliant Zimbabwean I ever came across.I can see easily why Mugabe’s regime hated him.
“They wrongly convicted him of treason, stripped him of his parliamentary seat, took away Churu farm and even in death denied him national hero status. He was not the only one from Manicaland. They killed Chitepo, Duri and abused Tekere They haunted Morgan Tsvangirai assaulted Madhuku and many others.”
He added “They can’t suddenly pretend to love Chipinge and Manicaland now. Only recently they allowed Billy Rottonbach ( Rautenbach) to grab thousands of hectares from Chisumbanje for his ethanol project. Thousands of villagers were displaced.
“Many fled to Mozambique & have not returned. None were compensated despite the billions Rottonbach makes. His trucks have destroyed roads to Che che che yet he is not accountable.
“So I will not accept hypocrisy from a regime that has brutalized and murdered millions throughout my life I have fought discrimination injustice exclusion and alienation. My legal career has been predominantly an attempt to use the law as an instrument of social justice and as a defender of human rights.”
Biti said the regime cannot change his fight for injustice and regretted his tweet with Prof Madhuku.
“A murderous regime and its cronies cannot change that. The rights of our people, the rights of Ethnic Minorities in our Zim is an issue so key to our struggle and the political party I proudly belong. In conclusion & for the avoidance of doubt I regret my tweet with Lovemore and am sorry for its pub stereotype banter. I have known Madhuku for years and we have shared a life together in 3 different spheres. It was mistake to share things that are privately said in jest. Zikomo.” wrote Biti
