SW Radio Africa (London)
Violet Gonda
2 April 2009
Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa dismissed as "false" a South African TV documentary which exposed the appalling prison conditions in Zimbabwe. The documentary showed emaciated bodies of prisoners dying from hunger and disease.
RadioVOP quoted the Justice Minister accusing the SABC of fabricating the story and claiming the pictures were taken in other jails in Africa, not in Zimbabwe.
But the SABC executive producer of the programme, Johann Abrahams, says the documentary is absolutely factual. He told SW Radio Africa there is proof and extensive footage showing that the visuals were taken in Zimbabwe. He said if it wasn't a serious matter he would laugh about this, but that clearly this was a very wrong response by the minister.
"I can't believe that he (Chinamasa) will say something like that and still try to shield the reality from what is going on in the country and inside the prisons," Abrahams said.
The executive producer said there is a lot of unused footage showing the crisis in Zimbabwe's prison, including interviews with concerned prison wardens who could not be identified for security reasons. "We stand by our story. This is in Zimbabwe."
The SABC says visuals were taken in Khami, Beitbridge and Harare Remand Prisons, with help from prison wardens and inmates, who supplied the footage using spy cameras supplied by the film crew.
There is also absolute proof of the horror inside Zimbabwe's jails from the thousands of MDC supporters and innocent Zimbabweans who have been arrested and suffered for themselves.
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This is a man who lives in Wonderland with Alice where everything is reversed. He will say anything to hide the truth from the world.
Mugabe is filmed saying that there is no cholera in Zimabwe and the world's press reports it accurately. Then the "Justice" Minister says that it was all a fabrication by the press and threatens to take away accreditation for all media except that brand of toilet paper called the Herald.
There seems to be a script for his behavior.
He must refer to a play book.
It's kinda like whenever anyone comes too close to usurping Mugabe. Next thing you know, they pull out the trusty playbook and read the chapter about arresting your opponents and charging them with treason for trying to topple the regime. They charge them with training insurgents in a third country and then shrug their shoulders and say, "There's nothing we can do. This is a legal issue and we cannot interfere. We must keep the individuals in prison to protect the public order." Then they give a plasma TV or a farm to the judge so he'll rule in their favor. Far better to keep the accused in jail. Otherwise they would talk to the press and it could get sticky.
Chinamasa stands on the word stage as a known liar who only cares about "justice," for ZANY-PF members.
His opinion belongs in the same place as the Herald: in the toilet.
Patrick Chinamasa is the greatest professional liar, as much as bloodstained Mugabe.
With such devils in the GNU, how can Tsvangirai foster unity? I know Tsvangirai has the iron determination and the necessary strategy to beat these demons with their own tricks.
Their days are counted. Tsvangirai was right to join the GNU in order to carry on the battle from the inside. Mugabe's tentacles are losing their grips on power as the days go by. The arrest of the landgrabbers is a sign Mugabe's reign of terror is drawing to a close.
The horizon looks brighter for Zimbos.
Come on now,why dont you believe ol'Pat? After all,if he wasn't loved and trusted by Mugga,he wouldn't be "JUSTICE?" minister now would he? By the way didn't he lose his seat? That's "TRUST" or is it JUSTICE?"
It is sad to think that many, not in country, are getting positively numb hearing the unadulterated horror that is life in Zimbabwe. Following Herr Goebbels principals, which Mass Murderer Mugabe (et al) adhere to, the destroyers of a wondrous nation still try to put forth massive prevarications, in the hope that, has Goebbels said, a lie, spoken enough times, becomes truth.
The killers have not taken in to account that in todays word, they can not get away with it forever.
Pray for the People of Zimbabwe.
I'm with you Carpepax. Must also pray that Satan gets his dirty paws off the situation.
-we won the elections -there is no crisis -there is no cholera -the farm invasions are only a misunderstanding -the herald represents independent journalism -these are not our prisons
and mugabe and his zanu-pf (always concerned about the welfare of all zimbabweans) are the only honest people in the world.
you are such idiots that you donīt care risking to loose your last "friends". yes, keep going on. good luck.
and by the way, i donīt want your land. donīt need it. can be happy with just your beautiful women.