Chief launches a bizarre and racist attack on Education Minister David Coltart

The Zimbabwean
By Marcus Tawona
Sunday, 15 November 2009

MUTARE- The Council of Chiefs says the names of Zanu (PF) candidates earmarked for Cabinet posts should be submitted to chiefs for vetting before final approval.

Council of Chiefs President Fortune Charumbira said some of ministers who were appointed by President Robert Mugabe were crooks and some of their policies were disastrous for the country. Charumbira made these remarks in the presence of Vice-President Joice Mujuru. Said Charumbira “We should have a stake in the selection of ministers because some of the appointees from the party leave a lot to be desired. We have been infiltrated by crooks. Some of these people are learned but are so possessed by evil spirits that they don’t see chiefs as people”.

Charumbira, a staunch Mugabe supporter, also used the occasion to launch a bizarre and racist attack on Education Minister David Coltart who he accused of charging exorbitant school fees “to incite people to topple Mugabe from the presidency.” “We heard that a white man is now the minister of education and parents are being forced to pay teachers. What’s that, to have a white man in the government,” said Charumbira.

Charumbira challenged Zanu (PF) to honour its promise to buy chiefs top of the range BT50 double cabs and single cabs for sub-chiefs. He said chiefs should also enjoy other benefits because they were part of the government. “We want better perks and remuneration now. You can’t say young MPs like Chamisa should drive the latest Benz whilst a chief is driving an old Mazda B18 000,” Charumbira fumed.

The chief’s leader also criticized Mugabe’s land reform programme, saying it did not benefit the majority but Zanu (PF) party heavyweights. They said they were sidelined during the allocation of land which was seized from white commercial farmers. “Only a few of our members were allocated land yet you claim that we are the custodians of the land. That’s an insult. Chiefs should own land in all provinces. War veterans and some who claim to be big in the party have hijacked the programme to their advantage,” said Charumbira.

Charumbira also fired a broadside at the coalition, questioning its relevance of the coalition government and said chiefs do not know why the administration was formed in the first place.

However Mujuru, who was the guest of honour at the conference, told the traditional leaders to stick to their role as custodians of the heritage and culture of the country and leave politics to politicians. Mujuru said: “I am surprised that a chief does not know why there is an inclusive government ….. we cannot repeat this every day vaCharumbira. Don’t you know that the formation of the inclusive government was to stop bloodshed in the country? Were you not there in your areas when children were killing one another?”