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Zimbabwe - interview

MDC is not doing enough to free Roy Bennett, wife says

Article published on the 2009-02-20 Latest update 2009-02-20 16:51 TU

Zimbawean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai at a media confrerence in Cape Town on Friday (Photo: Reuters)

Zimbawean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai at a media confrerence in Cape Town on Friday
(Photo: Reuters)

The wife of Zimbabwean ministerial nominee Roy Bennett says that his party should have refused to sit in the government until he was freed. On Friday Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said that rebuilding the country could cost as much as four billion euros. He was speaking after a meeting with South African President Kgalema Motlanthe in Cape Town.

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He said a "short-term intervention" was needed, in order to assist "those institutions that affect people".

Tsvangirai described the key areas as food, health and eduction, describing the situation as "dire".

Late Thursday, the wife of imprisoned MDC official Roy Bennett criticised Tsvangirai's party for not doing enough to ensure her husband's release, saying it was "disgusting that business is going on as normal".

"My husband's sitting in jail", she told RFI. "I feel this issue falls squarely on the Prime Minister's shoulders and he should ensure that Roy's released immediately and without harm".

Interview: Heather Bennett, wife of Roy Bennett

 
 

20/02/2009 by Alexandra Brangeon

Speaking after the swearing-in on Thursday of 19 Deputy Ministers, Heather Bennett said: "I certainly think that they should have refused to be sworn in until my husand was released".

She accused the Prime Minister's party of not doing enough.

"I don't see any statements going out by MDC. I certainly don't see any sort of pulling back. Its just gone on as I said, business as usual".

President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party regard her husband as "a threat because he's a man of integrity, he's a man of honesty", Bennett said.

"Having him in the government that would mean that Roy would be checking them all the time. They would be looking over their shoulder".

"Being sworn in as the Deputy Minister of Agriculture I think that he would show, or be able to prove, that the majority of land that has been taken is sitting with Zanu-PF stalwarts and Zanu-PF military generals."