Late Former President's Son Apologises For Calling Chin'ono A Clown

Nathan Banana, a son of the late former President Canaan Banana, has apologised to award-winning journalist Hopewell Chin’ono for calling him a clown.

Banana had criticised Chin’ono for highlighting the dire state of cancer treatment in Zimbabwe when he gave a speech in Geneva, Switzerland recently. He tweeted:

Kanti vele why is a cancer machine now a priority need over all other medical resources? Is it because some clown decided to make it an international concern?

There are so many other priority areas like building clinics/hospitals, upscaling pay packages & supplying Ambulances.

Chin’ono reminded Banana about how he had supported him when people made reference to his father’s sexuality and when his mother was being “persecuted” by ZANU PF. Said Chin’ono

When you were insulted on account of your dad’s sexuality, I stood with you.

When your mum was being denied her pension and persecuted by ZANU-PF, I stood with you and your family.

Today you call me a clown because I am asking the Government to save lives by buying cancer machines?

Banana, however, accused Chin’ono of lying about having supported him in any way and told him to leave his parents out of their verbal spat. He said:

Please @daddyhope don’t make false claims about the support you never provided. You are simply making reference to those issues to try and belittle my person.

I challenge you to share references to the support you claim to have given. Leave my parents out of it they are RIP.

Responding to Twitter users who had defended Chin’ono for his remarks in Geneva, Banana said:

Why tell a story to the international community in the first place? Were there other citizens attending the same conference also telling similar stories of their countries? What is the overall aim of sharing the story?

… democracy is also allowing me to freely constructively challenge his action without having to be insulted by his worshipers.

I personally believe not every concern you have in your household should be shared with your neighbour.

Meanwhile, Banana has apologised for describing Chin’ono as a clown saying “it was out of character”. He said:

As a peace-loving patriotic citizen of Zimbabwe & advocate for African Unity, I would like to apologise for my reckless reference to ‘clown’ used in a post in response to @daddyhope.

It was out of character and does not represent who I am as someone brought up in a respectable family.

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