He is being held at the Mutare police station and he is no stranger to prison. In 2004 he spent eight months in prison after a scuffle with the then Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa who called his ancestors ‘murderers and thieves’. A short while after his release from prison the secret police were after him again with all sorts of accusations which is when he decided it would be best to slip out of the country.
Heather Bennett, Roy’s wife spoke to SW Radio Africa about her husbands arrest and there were a couple of things she said that struck a cord viz;
“If Morgan Tsvangirai has no power to protect his top leadership, the rest of the country is in big trouble because nothing is going to change.”
“If they get away with this Morgan Tsvangirai may as well not even be there because they will walk all over him. And unless he shows the leadership now it is going to be a waste of time having an inclusive government anyway.”
This is the start of power sharing and it just goes to show who is in control. Roy Bennett’s arrest is something that is unwarranted and those holding him know it too – just look at how they can’t decide on what to charge him with. Going back to Zimbabwe at the time he did may not have been a good idea and why he decided to is anyone’s guess. Nonetheless, what Mrs. Bennett had to say about the GNU was straight to the point and a fact that cannot be ignored. If Tsvangirai cannot protect Roy Bennett, what is the point of him being Prime Minister?
Listen to Heather Bennett’s interview on SW Radio Africa here
Dear Roy, almost 10 years has elapsed since we met in South America. We did not reach the summit fg Acongagua, but you have been in my thoughts for the last decade. Hang in there; I hope that you still have the T-shirt I gave you. I am sure that we will meet again and that you will wear it (as a free man.
Arnstein