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From: as on 9 Aug 2010 17:53
No one is going to be arrested for political violence � Mugabe

http://www.zimeye.org/?p=20592

By Gerald Chateta

Published: August 9, 2010

HARARE � President Robert Mugabe on Monday at the National Heroes Acre
in
Harare said no one was going to be arrested and punished for committing
politically motivated crimes in the past years under the process of
national
healing and reconciliation process.

Mugabe told thousands of people who thronged the national shrine to
commemorate the national heroes day among them Prime minister Morgan
Tsvangirai, his two deputies, Thokozani Khupe and Athur Mutambara and
uniformed soldiers that any attempt by government to seek punishment
was
going poison the spirit of national healing.

�We have embarked in earnest on the process of national healing,
reconciliation and integration. For the sake of our children and
posterity,
I want to urge all of you to note that the process of reconciliation is
national.

�It does not seek to ferret out supposed criminals for punishment but
rather
calls on all of us to avoid the deadly snare of political conflict.
Guided
by the spirit of tolerance, we should continue to work together in
promoting
peace and stability regardless of political or religious affiliation,�
he
said.

Mugabe�s statement is a direct conflict with the wishes of the people
mostly
MDC-T supporters who were brutalized by militant sections of his party
in
June 2008 during the run up to the controversial Presidential run-off
elections who demand that the perpetrators to be arrested.

These people are putting pressure on Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai
to
push the government to investigate such cases and bring justice to
shore.

More than 200 MDC supporters were killed by the military and Mugabe�s
militant supporters during the bloody period preceding the presidential
June
27 2008 run-off election.

Mugabe�s statements are also reflected in the continued refusal by
police to
prosecute perpetrators of political violence.

President Mugabe repeated his last week�s speech at the burial of his
sister
Sabina at the same place when he accused the European Union of refusing
to
lift sanctions they in 2002 imposed on his senior party members.

�America and Britain are wrong, and EU should think again. Recently we
have
sought to re-engage the European Union on the issue of the immediate
removal
of evil sanctions that are hurting our people. But no sooner had we
started
the re-engagement than we realized that the EU is far from being
sincere as
the bloc keeps on shifting goal posts.

�The EU and America are keen to have our people continue suffering
under the
evil sanctions. Let all Zimbabweans unite on this matter and with one
voice
continue to demand their removal� Mugabe said.

The EU said Mugabe should implement the GPA if they were to lift
sanctions.

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