Politics of Race
White Zimbabwean told to leave the country

21st May 2004

HARARE - Supporters of Zimbabwe's ruling party staged a protest outside parliament demanding that a white opposition lawmaker be thrown out of the country for attacking the justice minister.

Harare's newly appointed governor Witness Mangwende told some 3,000 protesters that Roy Bennett, one of three white lawmakers in the 150-member parliament, was not welcome in the capital anymore.

"If we see him walking the streets of Harare, we will revenge," Mangwende warned.

Bennett, a member of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) shoved Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa to the ground on Tuesday, angered by what he later described as racist attacks during a heated debate in the house.

Bennett charged at the justice minister in parliament after he declared: "Bennett has never forgiven this government for seeking to redistribute the land. He forgets that his forefathers were thieves".

The justice minister said that Bennett, who was expropriated from his farm under Zimbabwe's controversial land reform program, would not be allowed back to his property.

"I want to warn him that we have taken over Charleswood and he must not set his foot on that ground," Chinamasa said, referring to the Bennett farm.

The lunchtime demonstration outside parliament appeared to have been sanctioned by police, despite the normal legal requirement of a four-day notice.

"The dishonourable Bennett should leave Zimbabwe. He should never set his foot in this house," an official from the governing Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) party, Winston Dzawo, told the protesters.

The protesters waved placards that read "Expel Bennett from parliament and the country" and "No room for barbarism in Zimbabwe."

"We want Bennett to be arrested for beating up a minister," a spokesman for the demonstrators, Peter Hlongwane, said. "If he's tired of living in Zimbabwe, he should go to Britain."

They later staged another protest outside the offices of the MDC where, according to a witness, they hurled rocks and shattered the glass doors.

On Thursday a specially-convened parliamentary disciplinary committee that was to hear Bennett's case was postponed, according to an official.

Bennett was not present in parliament on Thursday.

Daily news - Sunday Times - South Africa