Chimanimani Arts Festival Blessing Ceremony

Blessing Ceremony

Blessing Ceremony

First day of the festival

Young festival goers

View of the Chimanimani mountains

Images © 2011 Jacqui Taylor

MDC-T spokesperson, Nelson Chamisa has attributed the delays in swearing in Roy Bennett as deputy minister to the fact that Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai was on compassionate leave following the death of his wife, Susan.

Asked to comment on reports that President Robert Mugabe was refusing to swear in Bennett, Chamisa over a week ago said the MDC Treasury General’s appointment as deputy Minister could not be stopped.

“The issue is not about whether or not,” he said. “It is about when. The nomination of Roy Bennett is an MDC-T thing and therefore the President cannot interfere with MDC-T business.”

The former commercial farmer is now a non-constituency Senator.

Water Resources and Infrastructure Development Minister, Samuel Sipepa Nkomo told a private radio station that Mugabe was refusing to swear in Bennett citing that he had a pending case in the courts.

Sipepa Nkomo is reported to have said that attempts to frustrate the former Chimanimani legislator were against the spirit of the Global Political Agreement (GPA).

Bennett was arrested on the same day Mugabe swore in ministers from Zanu PF and the two MDC formations as he tried to return to South Africa where he had lived in exile for two years.

This was after he was informed that deputy ministers would be sworn in at a later date.

He was held at Mutare Prison for a month after he was charged for his alleged involvement in acts of terrorism and for illegal possession of firearms.

The MDC-T blamed his arrest on Zanu PF loyalists who were trying to sabotage the unity government.

Last week Bennett said he did not know what was delaying his swearing in and referred all questions to the Prime Minister’s office.