Hullo? Hullo….? Anyone home…..?
This transcript of an interview between Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi and Violet Gonda of SW Radio Africa is one of the most amusing things I’ve read in a long time. I received it via my daily zwnews email (click here to sign up to receive zwnews).
Listen to SW Radio Africa live via the web here, and get their podcasts here.
Transcript of an interview with Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi
By Violet Gonda
Violet: Before we start I just wanted to play for our listeners an interview that I did with Kembo Mohadi, Monday evening. I asked him to comment about the attacks that are taking place in Zimbabwe right now and this is what happened.
Minister Kembo Mohadi: Hello.
Violet: Hello, Minister Mohadi?
Minister Kembo Mohadi: Yes.
Violet: Hello Minister, my name is Violet; I’m calling from SW Radio Africa.
Minister Kembo Mohadi: Where?
Violet: From SW Radio Africa.
Minister Kembo Mohadi: What can I do for you Madam?
Violet: Minster I wanted to find out from you or to get a comment from you about the allegations from the MDC that a lot of their activists are getting arrested and tortured in custody. And, as the Home Affairs Minister, I wanted to find out or to get your comment on this.
Minister Kembo Mohadi: No we don’t arrest anybody and torture people here in Zimbabwe . We arrest criminals and even if they are terrorist criminals we don’t torture them. The law takes its own course, if someone has got a case to answer he goes to Court and he is convicted. Those allegations are false.
Violet: But Minister Mohadi these MDC leaders and activists have actually appeared in Court covered in blood. So how can you explain this?
Minister Kembo Mohadi: Ah no, when was that?
Violet: How can you explain this?
Minister Kembo Mohadi: When was that? When was that? When did they appear in Court covered in blood? That is a wrong statement. When was it?
Violet: The MDC…
Minister Kembo Mohadi: did you see them covered in blood?
Violet: Morgan Tsvangirai…
Minister Kembo Mohadi: Did you see them covered in blood?
Violet: MorganTsvangirai appeared on TV.
Minister Kembo Mohadi: Ah no.
Violet: He was seen on TV.
Minister Kembo Mohadi: He was not even covered in blood. That’s a lie. You come to Zimbabwe and witness this for yourself and don’t be talking about things that you don’t know. And we don’t ban people from coming to Zimbabwe . Why do you have to listen to CNN and Sky News and BBC? Come to Zimbabwe and see for yourself and report correctly.
Violet: But Minister Mohadi you know that…. (Sound of the phone line going dead).
Violet: Hello? Hello? And we lost connection with the Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi, but I called him back and this is what happened.
Violet: Minister we must have got cut off?
Minister Kembo Mohadi: Yes, I said come to Zimbabwe and report correctly man! We are bombed by the MDC, they are involved in terrorist activities and you don’t report about that! We’ve got a lot of them in custody, we’ve got a lot of them that are going on trial and have been remanded by our Courts. And they are possessing arms of war and you don’t report about that. I say come to Zimbabwe and see for yourself man! We don’t ban you from coming. You come to Zimbabwe you can see it for yourself other than to report from hearsay. I don’t want to be talking to people that get these things from hearsay.
Violet: But that’s why I’m talking to you direct so that we can hear it from you.
Minister Kembo Mohadi: No, no, no, you are talking to me directly over the phone. Come to Zimbabwe and report correctly!
Violet: But you know that SW Radio Africa is banned in Zimbabwe?
Minister Kembo Mohadi: What ban? You come to me, I’m the Minister of Home Affairs and say you want to come and report then you, you, you will cover the story that you want, other than talking. I don’t want to be talking to you about rumours please; please can you please leave it alone.
Violet: But that’s why I’m talking to you.
Minister Kembo Mohadi: No, no, no, can you please leave me alone. There’s nothing like that. I’ve told you that everything is false so what else do you want?
Violet: You have said that journalists can come to Zimbabwe , but how many journalists have been arrested?
Minister Kembo Mohadi: Yeah why don’t you come to Zimbabwe if you, you know who has been arrested?
Violet: Wasn’t there a journalist Gift Phiri, an independent journalist who was arrested last week?
Minister Kembo Mohadi: Who is that? Who has been arrested?
Violet: Gift Phiri is a journalist that’s actually at the Avenues Clinic right now.
Minister Kembo Mohadi: Ya but you come to Zimbabwe.
Violet: Receiving treatment after he was brutalised by the police.
Minister Kembo Mohadi: No you’ve got to, if you come to Zimbabwe you’ve got to register, you’ve got to report that you are a journalist, you are accredited. Don’t just come and report when you are not accredited. Whether you are a freelance or what you get accredited man. We are a sovereign country here. You can’t just come and do things as if you are on a picnic.
Violet: So are you saying…?
Minister Kembo Mohadi: We must know what; we must know that you are in Zimbabwe and that you are reporting for that and that paper.
Violet: Minister Mohadi: there are several journalists who…
Minister Kembo Mohadi: Rumour spreader, why do you, why, why ….
Violet: There are several journalists who have been assaulted.
Minister Kembo Mohadi: Now there is no journalist that is in jail here in Zimbabwe, can you come tomorrow, fly tomorrow and then phone me, phone me on Wednesday because tomorrow I’m in Cabinet and fly in and come and identify a journalist that is in prison here or that is…
Violet: Gift Phiri is one journalist.
Minister Kembo Mohadi: Ya you come and show me. There is no one of that sort, that is…
Violet: He was released just a few days ago.
Minister Kembo Mohadi: No, no, that’s not true, that’s not true, that’s not true. That’s not true.
Violet: So what is the truth?
Minster Kembo Mohadi: No, there is nothing. I’m saying that’s all false, we don’t…
Violet: What about Edward Chikomba the ZBC cameraman who was murdered last week?
Minister Kembo Mohadi: He was murdered by who? Was he murdered by the police?
Violet: But is your government investigating to find out who…
Minister Kembo Mohadi: Was he murdered by the police?
Violet: He was abducted in the same way that several opposition activists have been abducted.
Minister Kembo Mohadi: Was he… Abducted by who? By who?
Violet: By members of the state security agency.
Minister Kembo Mohadi: Abducted by who? Who? Oh no, can you tell me that? Can you come and…
Violet: So is your government going to investigate to find…
Minister Kembo Mohadi: No come and look, ah please can you, if you don’t want to talk to me stop giving me false accusations, ah please OK?
Violet: Minister do you understand that…
Minister Kembo Mohadi: No, no, no I don’t want to talk to you.
Violet: Minister do you understand that Zimbabweans are frustrated with their daily struggles right now?
Minister Kembo Mohadi: Hey! Hey Hey Hey! Shut up!
Sound of the phone line going dead
Violet: But as a Minister, how can you even say that?
Sound of the phone line going dead again
Violet: And the Minister hung up again and when I tried to call him he would not pick up his phone.
May 17th, 2008 03:01
How sad that a person of this calibre is in a ministerial position - reflects so badly on Mugabe’s cabinet - they lost the election but will cling on to power at any cost. We are all praying that the MDC won’t lose heart and will triumph in the re-run and bring an end to the suffering of the Zimbabwean people.
June Boyer