Farai Dziva|Norton MP Temba Mliswa’s controversial remarks about Innscor officials have triggered “twitter storm.”

Innscor officials, through their lawyers, have since lodged a complaint with Twitter.

See part of the letter written by Innscor officials’ lawyers to Twitter:

We consider that the tweets… contain racial slurs and perpetuate a racist trope of a black African who has personally benefited from the disenfranchisement and exploitation of other black people by white Africans and Asian Africans
the chain of tweets also make wide ranging generalised slurs against white and Asian Africans, which are particularly sensitive in a country which has historically experiences serious unrest and violence along racial lines.

Whilst our client is not a homosexual, the suggestion that our client is a homosexual is a serious one in Zimbabwe, where homosexual acts between men are illegal and violence against gay men is prevalent.

This allegation alone, is tantamount to an incitement to violence against him.

Furthermore, we consider that the chain of allegations perpetuates a discriminatory trope that homosexuals as a group are engaged in corruption, favouring only people of the same orientation who bestow them with sexual favours.

In response Mliswa said:

“So I hear Addington Chinake(Innscor board member) feels the best way to counter my allegations is to approach Twitter for my account to be closed rather than sue me.

If I was lying, I’d probably agree, but I’m prepared to stand up in court any day for what I said.”