PRESS STATEMENT ON DITSHWANELO ZIMBABWE SEMINAR

CLARIFICATION OF FACTS

DITSHWANELO – The Botswana Centre for Human Rights wishes to clarify the facts surrounding the attendance by Zimbabwe’s Minister of Justice Chinamasa at our Zimbabwe Seminar on 29 June 2001.

The Midweek Sun of July 4, 2001 reported that ‘… the Zimbabwean Minister of Justice, Patrick Chinamasa walked uninvited into the seminar’. The Mmegi Monitor of 3-9 July 2001 reported about Minister Chinamasa that ‘He himself came uninvited to defend the government’. DITSHWANELO wishes to explain how it was that Minister Chinamasa
came to be at our Focus Seminar on Zimbabwe.

Participants invited to the Seminar included the Zimbabwean High Commissioner to Botswana. During the week of the Seminar, the High Commissioner contacted
DITSHWANELO to request further information about the Seminar. He also informed DITSHWANELO that Minister Chinamasa would be in Gaborone on other business. He requested that Minister Chinamasa be given a slot to formally participate as one of the presenters. DITSHWANELO explained that it would not be possible for the request to be granted and that the programme was full. DITSHWANELO nevertheless made it clear that the Minister would be welcome to attend and make contributions like other participants.

DITSHWANELO was therefore expecting Minister Chinamasa to attend. His participation provided useful insights into the position of the Government of Zimbabwe on the land issue and other matters pertaining to the rule of law.

5 July 2001
Gaborone