Roy Bennett the white Zimbabwean former opposition lawmaker and farmer who was jailed for shoving a minister to the ground during a parliament debate stands with with his wife Heather after he was released from jail in 2005. Bennett now lives in South Africa where he was granted asylum. He is the current MDC party's financier and treasurer.
THE opposition Movement for Democratic Change party’s treasurer said he will undo a deal signed by a leading copper and cobalt mining company and the government of Zimbabwe if the MDC ever gets into power, and asked other companies who have signed such deals to suspend operations in Zimbabwe.
The Zimbabwean government and Central African Mining and Exploration (Camec) struck a deal over a new platinum mine. Part of the mine was previously held by Anglo Platinum as part of its Unki Platinum project, but was surrendered to the Zimbabwe government in terms of the country’s newly introduced indigenization legislation.
When the MDC gets into power in Zimbabwe, “any deal done under the kind of circumstances surrounding the Camec acquisition of those mineral rights will be not be honoured and will be undone,” said Bennett in an interview with Miningmx.
Bennett also said that current negotiations in Zimbabwe will end in the MDC assuming total control in the country. He said that he was confident the MDC will come to power in Zimbabwe. “What is underway now are negotiations leading to a transitional government. That, in turn, will lead to free and fair elections which will confirm the position of the MDC as the elected government.”
The controversial treasurer, who has previously admitted that the MDC had deliberately created the economic problems in Zimbabwe in order to remove President Mugabe, said that the MDC will also consider confiscation of assets.
Bennett also urged Anglo-American to put all their planned investment and/or operations ”on hold” until a new MDC government is in place.
Bennett who is well known for being very vocal has been against talks insisting that the people of Zimbabwe prefer Morgan Tsvangirai as their leader. Prior to the March 29 harmonised election, Bennett criticised the entry of Professor Arthur Mutambara onto the political scene saying: “How and where in the world does someone parachute into a Presidential position never having addressed a branch meeting in the rural areas?”
He also criticised former finance minister and presidential candidate, Dr. Simba Makoni and accussed him of receiving money from the donor community to run his campaign. “And right now as we watch Simba Makoni… walking with three people from his house into a room and making press statements. He tells us he is not alone, we’ve seen nobody else come up and stand next to him,” he said of Dr. Makoni at the time.
Camec Managing Director could not be intimidated by Bennett. In response, Camec MD Andrew Groves replied: “Assuming the MDC gets into power then let them try. That deal was done in accordance with all the laws of Zimbabwe. The US$100m loan provided was used to pay off Zimbabwe’s external creditors.”
“They will find the deal very difficult to undo and we will take the issue to international arbitration if necessary. This kind of thing was tried on us before in the Democratic Republic of Congo,” Miningmx quoted Groves as saying.
Camec has already started work on the mine. The annual statement to end-March said indicated that work had already started on mine.
The report also indicated that they had already secured the right expatriate some of the profits generated by its mining operations in the country.
CAMEC has been operating in Zimbabwe since 2002 and “plans to become a leading African investment and production Company. The primary resources that CAMEC is currently interested in are tantalite, gold and tin, with a production and buying infrastructure already in place,” said a statement on its website.
CAMEC's operational areas include the DRC, Mozambique, South Africa, Angola, Mali, and Zimbabwe.
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READER OPINIONS
n/a • n/a Subject: Bennett Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:57:49 • I wholly agree with Securu that the pre 1980 era needs to be revisited because there are some elements in Zim society who want to erase this era from the psyche of Zims and pretend that everything was hanky dory. More than 50,000 black Zims were murdered. Bennett played a very significant role in this massacre.The hand of reconciliation that was extended then was wrong. People like Bennett need to be made accountable for their crimes against humanity and made to pay.
SECURU NA • na Subject: EIWA! LEARN OUR CUSTOMS Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:55:32 • On one side I have great respect for Bennett having learnt to speak good Shona.
Unfortunately he failed to learn to live with the people he has become part of.
He completely ignored the customs.
I talk of the respect of elders, each other, hunhu!
The Shona people are respectful of those who have gone before
them and treat strangers as equals and God's own unique beings.
Bennett is turning out in the mould of rogues like Rhodes, Jameson etc. people who unashamedly abused Missionaries like Robert Moffat, David Livingstone etc.
These are people who learnt the languages and then forgot the correct reason for doing so.
Many people have expressed fears for a capable leader like MT being indebted
to animals like Bennett. Imagine what would happen if MT became absolute
leader of Zimbabwe?
Those who think that the army guys backing RGM are tough cookies will have to rewrite the meaning of the expression if MT became Head of State and he has Bennetts to contend with.
He will be lucky to stay alive. Who needs enemies when you have Bennetts in your camp?
Perhaps one of the points to be taken in consideration in the current talks
is Truth Commission covering the Rhodesian Era as the unfinished part of the
Olive Branch given by RGM and ZANUPF in 1980. There has to be a restitution
element attached for the murders and land dispossession of people like
Nehanda, Kaguvi, Mashayamombe, Chitepo, JZ Moyo and thousands others up to
1980.
n/a • n/a Subject: Bennett Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:41:41 • Why is MDC-T being represented by this unrepetant Selous Scout who butchered thousands of black Zimbabweans during the liberation struggle?
The only place fit for Bennet is the Hague.Has'nt he done enough damage to the Zimbabweans by calling for sanctions against Zim in the first place that have made the economy scream.How many Zimbabweans have died because of lack of medication or food as a result of these sanctions. These are additional crimes against humanity. Bennet should not be preaching to any Zimbabwean about democracy, human rights or rule of law because he does not know the meaning of these.Has he ever shown remorse for more than 50,000 black Zims he and his mates butchered. during the liberation struggle?The companies that he is arm twisting should tell him to buzz off because no sane Zimbabwean wants the likes of Bennett back in Zimbabwe.Patriotic Zimbabweans extend their hands to fellow Zimbabweans like Donette Kruger not this Rhodie Bennett.
george bachinche • bachinche@mail.com Subject: Selous Scout Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:32:59 • With comments like this, is it any wonder that some Zimbabwean dread the MDC coming to power.
By the way whose mandate woulod it be that the MDC would annul the agreements contracted under the current government. Did the ZANU PF government not pay international debts accrued by the Smith Regime in 1980?
The threatened companies will do their best to keep MDC out of office, that is how the game is played.
Donette Read Kruger • na. Subject: NOT IN MY NAME Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:13:56 • As a white Zimbabwean I am appalled that Roy Bennett is determined to destabilise Africanisation in this unjustified manner.
He should stop assuming that every white person is behind him - forthwith!
Please note: I for one am DEFINITELY NOT!
Dave • Majanje@yahoo.com Subject: Roy Bennett Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:01:28 • It is actually wise to cancel these agreements. These are Zimbabwe's minerals and these international investors are taking advantage of Zimbabwe's current weak position to garner sweet deals. As for the land reform I could care less, as a black Zimbabwean I still do not own any land or a farm so I don't care who is on the farms as long as they are growing enough food for the country and for export something the guys there today are not doing. If it means our children can go to school woth full stomachs then by all means bring back anyone who can farm properly. What is the point of owning a car if you can't drive? Same thing with a farm, it does no good to own one if you don't know what you are doing.
n/a • n/a Subject: bennet Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:26:55 • please bennet shut up, people of Zimbabwe do not have time for destroyers like you .You do not have any right to say anything about ZIMBABWE .
Isaac Bwoni • ibwoni@gmail.com Subject: Ho nhai? Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:36:10 • Zimbabwe will never be a colony again. Bennet should analyse this statement. Does he think Zimbos are foolish enough to be told what to do by someone like Bennet again??
nathaniel • n/a Subject: no wonder Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:21:42 • The man has gone nuts.he is in the business of reversing things including the land reform. Can we allow such things to happen?
to who will Bennet give the mine to?
i wonder...
Petros Mbwasungana • n/a Subject: n/a Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:10:44 • This man thinks we still live in colonial days when he was a Selous Scout together with David Coltart killing innocent Zimbabweans. Someone should tell him his utterances are divisive and causing unnecessary mayhem. He should forget it if he thinks he will ever rule Zimbabwe again. We are watching him closely and should be happy that we forgave him after his work with the Scouts. Coltart wrote to him a while ago reminding him of how lucky they were to be forgiven by Black Zimbabweans over their atrocious work in the Scouts. He should just shut up.
N/A • mhariwamusi@yahoo.com Subject: Mazvionaka! Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:03:37 • That is why the MDC must never come to power. Not only will they cancel such investment deals as made by CAMEC. The greatest tragedy is that they will seek to reverse the land reform programme. May their desire to rule Zimbabwe never see the light of day. Thay do not seem to realise the magnitude of their actions. Now, they are no longer in a position to control the sanctions monster which they created. Its like God's rain, it falls on the fields of both the righteous and the unrighteous, sanctions bite every Zimbabwean, Zanu PF, MDC, NDU NDA, whatever. MDC inoita kunge vamwene vanouraya mwanakomana wavo kuti muroora atambure.
mabhunu muchapera 2008 • mabhunumuchapera2008@yahoo.com Subject: Bennett Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:35:02 • Bennet is a fool
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