𝐙𝐄𝐏𝐇𝐀 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐎 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐄 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐗𝐄𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐁𝐈𝐂 𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓.

South African Minister of sports and culture charged.

Advocate Simba Chitando, representing the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit Holder Association (Zepha), filed a complaint against Minister McKenzie for inciting violence and murder against foreign nationals, including Zimbabweans, in South African hospitals and, by extension, outside hospitals.

The complaint alleges that McKenzie's public broadcasts on national television intentionally encouraged harm and death to foreign nationals, effectively advocating for their killing.

Although we have our differences with the Advocate, I fully support this fight against xenophobia and incitement to violence against foreigners. This fight aligns with our struggles as ZASM, alongside Advocate Chitando [who is a director of ZASM] over the past three years. I have stood with him in the past -risking my own standing in South Africa- because he is one of the few, if not the only Zimbabwean lawyer, brave enough to stand up for Zimbabwean humanity in South Africa.

However, it is hypocritical that he would fight for a few thousand ZEPHA Zimbabweans in South Africa, but simultaneously turn against me, the Chairman of ZASM (an organisation in which he is a director), to join #Innscor, a company ZASM is fighting against for selling toxic and illegal GMOs to 16 million Zimbabweans, contributing to the country's high cancer death rate.

Zimbabwe has the highest cancer death rate in the world, closely followed by South Africa and both countries consume copious amounts of South African GMOs that are laced with #glyphosate. Studies in America have proven that cancer has increased with the growing consumption of toxic #GMO food laced with #Monsanto's Round Up, containing glyphosate.

As a consequence, many Zimbabweans end up seeking cancer treatment in South African hospitals because it’s difficult to treat cancer in Zimbabwean hospitals where cancer machines were incapacitated by illegal US, EU and UK sanctions restrictions, that Simba and I successfully fought against.

I challenge Advocate Chitando to reassess his patriotism towards the country, and to stop supporting a company harming 16 million Zimbabweans, while he partially serves Zimbabweans through fighting for ZEPHA members, for financial gain.

Nevertheless, I fully support this fight against the dehumanization of Zimbabweans by a South African Minister of Sports and Culture, who promotes xenophobia. This fight raises the question about what “culture” South Africa is promoting by having a hateful xenophobe and former criminal as the “Minister of Culture”?

#SaveOurLives #InnscorVsRutendo #DavidVsGoliath

Written by Rutendo Matinyarare, Chairman of ZASM.