Bulawayo 24
By Thobekile Zhou
April 15 2015
MDC top official David Coltart has lashed out at Information minister Jonathan Moyo describing him a hypocrite over his xenophobic comments saying he cannot cherry pick what ‘types of xenophobia or racism are acceptable or not’.
On Monday, ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe was quoted saying the “ANC theorises colonialism differently to ZANU PF” and “has no desire to drive white people into the sea”.
That forced Moto to respond saying “We differ with Mugabe on whites: Mantashe” saying “And we differ with the ANC on blacks!”.
Moyo’s response seems to have not gone down well with Coltart.
“…Moyo statements are hypocrisy of the worst order. One cannot pick and choose what types of xenophobia or racism are acceptable or not” wrote Coltart on his official Facebook page on Wednesday.
“One cannot say that it is fine to make inflammatory racist remarks against one race and then condemn xenophobia or racist behaviour directed against another group.
“Xenophobia and racism are evil – period” said Coltart, a lawyer by profession.
He said the xenophobic statements made by some South African leaders are wrong and ZANU PF’s policy of ethnic cleansing directed against whites in Zimbabwe is wrong – period.
“Moyo’s comments are hypocritical for another reason – he makes them glibly ignoring the reasons why there are so many Zimbabweans in South Africa who are now bearing the brunt of these horrendous attacks.
“Most Zimbabweans I have spoken to in South Africa do not want to be there – they long to be back home but cannot return because there is nothing here for them. Most left Zimbabwe in the first place because of a succession of brutal and destructive policies implemented by Moyo’s party ZANU PF.
“In the 1980s thousands of young men fled the Gukurahundi from the very constituency Moyo now seeks to represent, Tsholotsho. If he is honest he will admit that. Since 2000 hundreds of thousands have left Zimbabwe because of the chaotic policies of ZANU PF which destroyed the Zimbabwean economy. Others left because they happened to disagree with ZANU PF and fled to save their lives.