The Gleaner
 |
| PORTIA SIMPSON-MILLER |
KINGSTON
— Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller has described as “disrespectful and
misguided” controversial comments made by Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe
about Jamaican men.
But
opposition leader Andrew Holness says Jamaica’s head of government has not gone
far enough. In fact, Holness wants the government of Jamaica to demand an
apology from the Zimbabwean leader.
A
week after Mugabe’s comments triggered intense public debate, Simpson Miller
hit back saying his remarks were untrue.
 |
| ANDREW HOLNESS |
Mugabe
had last week Wednesday labelled Jamaican men as underachievers who get high on
ganja, drunk on alcohol, refuse to go to college and spend time twisting their
hair.
Simpson
Miller said Mugabe’s statement was disrespectful to the hundreds of thousands
of Jamaican men who were excellent fathers, professionals and outstanding
citizens. In a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister, Simpson Miller
said Mugabe’s remarks, “regardless of whether they were spoken ‘in jest’ were
grossly unfortunate, misguided and untrue”.
A
newspaper article indicated that the president of Zimbabwe was thought to have
been speaking in jest.
 |
| ROBERT MUGABEE |
It
took eight days, since the president’s controversial remarks, for Jamaica House
to confirm through “exhaustive checks” by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Foreign Trade that Mugabe made the uncomplimentary comments about Jamaican men
at the launch of a 2012 Research and Intellectual Institute Expo in the
Zimbabwean capital, Harare.
Said
Simpson Miller: “We are confident that the remarks of President Mugabe do not
represent the sentiments of the people of Zimbabwe, other African countries and
the rest of the world.”
She
added: “Our confidence is predicated on the fact that there are many
outstanding and globally accepted examples of the character and contribution of
Jamaican men who have set the benchmark as exceptional achievers.”
However,
Holness suggested that the prime minister’s statement on the issue was
inadequate.
“We
should send an official letter of protest and ask for an apology in expressing
our disgust and dissatisfaction at the statement,” the opposition leader
insisted.
He
argued that Mugabe’s utterances could have international implications, noting
that people who read his comments in the Zimbabwean Press could form a
particular view about Jamaicans.
“We
have Brand Jamaica to protect and that statement is certainly not helping Brand
Jamaica,” Holness stressed.
He
said at the time Mugabe’s comments were made, there was no clarification to
suggest they were made in jest.
“If
it were said in jest and there is an acknowledgement that the comments created,
‘to use a euphemism, discomfort’ for Jamaicans or were untrue, then it should
not be a difficult for Mr Mugabe to apologise. Indeed, the apology should be
automatic.”
Holness
said the prime minister should also consider reviewing the membership in the
Order of Jamaica given to Mugabe.
No comments:
Post a Comment