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Sports Reporter
FORMER Zimbabwe cricket captain, Tatenda Taibu, remained in the eye of a hurricane yesterday as outrage continued to grow over a tweet he posted about George Floyd.
Although Taibu remained unmoved, saying he stood by his opinion, the anger sparked by his tweet was palpable and, just like the protests around the world, continued to grow in intensity.
Others questioned whether the former Chevrons skipper, who lives in England, was simply singing for his supper while there have also been questions about his mental status.
Taibu appeared to find justification to the killing of Floyd, the latest black man to die at the hands of white police officers in the United States, which has sparked a global outcry and sent millions to protest on the streets across the world.
Floyd (46) died while being arrested on May 25 in Minneapolis, United States. The four officers involved have since been charged over the death, which sparked days of protest in the US and Black Lives Matter demonstrations across the world.
“America is in a mess,” Taibu tweeted on Friday.
“Now, Americans want the street to be named after Floyd.
“My, my, my. What the policeman did was wrong.
“However, the story started with a fake bank note. Black or white, that is wrong, too.
“There is a difference between a hero and a victim.”
The controversial tweet drew a wave of angry responses with some, so appalled, they even questioned if this was a parody account.
“Your madness is seasonal, we understand,” said one respondent on Twitter, capturing these mood among the scores who bombarded his Twitter account with angry messages.
“I think you need to be bowled out of social media,” said Lovejoy Mtongwiza.
“Your innings, so far, has been disastrous.”
Magdalene Dodo felt Taibu was probably a victim of being brainwashed by a system he grew up in as a sportsman.
“When you spent a lot of time with whites in the cricket team you started to believe you were one of them,” she said.
“You need major emancipation my dear otherwise your children will never know who they are.
“A colonised mind is a tragedy.”
Here are some of the responses:
Chelle Chips @ChelleChipato: “This is ignorance at its highest level, delete this. If you can’t find something to say just don’t say it. Research a little more about the reasons behind the protests, it will do you a lot of good. I assumed as a Black man you will understand the purpose but clearly not with you.”
Prof Simplisio Muvunde @MuvundeAntonio: “Taibu wakapusa.”
Nigel @NigelPulazi: “It’s unfortunate we still have this kind of thinking in our people.”
EuksYNWA @hamunp05: “You are the exception. Most cricket players are intelligent.”
Taff_churu @taff_churu: ” So are you equating his life to a $20 bill? You honestly can’t be this ignorant this is about the whole system being biased against the black people.”
The_Thinker @The_Thinker_II: “Twuma legends twenyu utwu. Trying to sound different and insightful.”
kuda zimbabwe @kudazimbabwe1: “All those years in cricket fighting an unjust system you didn’t learn anything! zvakatooma!”
Cailah Tatenda @misscailah: “Your whole story is about cricket & ended with not much to show for or talk about. Nothing was named after you & Nothing will be named after you! 9 minutes we saw of George’s life has started a revolution for #blacklives, a fight against racism & you want to talk about 20dollars.”
Chelle Chips @ChelleChipato: “He should know a lot about oppression as former colleagues lost their right to play cricket under a regime. He should know very well as a Black person in a foreign land about systematic and institutional racism and yet dhololo.”
Mgcini Nyoni @MgciniNyoni: “There are questions around naming the street and you should have asked the questions and start a discussion instead of the insensitivity you did here.”
Matty HumbaBae @Miss_tidza89: The note wasn’t counterfeit actually. It was later proven to be original. Don’t spoil a man’s legacy because you couldn’t make one for yourself. Take a seat please.”
T Matsilele-Chauke, Ph.D. @trustmatsilele: “Silly tweet. Not everyone who plays cricket is a gentleman, some are silly.”
Mr OMaronga @FreeZimbabwean: “Chero wakafamba, kudzidza, kutamba nekushanda nevarungu uchiri very black mupfanami. Svoda. Yr type is the reason why whites discriminate blacks.”
Stormbreaker @bernardvhuta: “Dai mangoshingirira kurova chibhora chiye chinopotserwa kwamuri izvi zve ma analysis nema opinions hamuzvikwanise.”
Taff_churu @taff_churu: “Dude has decided to show off his shallowness @Vimbai_Farawu.”
Hillary M Chindodo @h_factor2020: “Except the bank note wasn’t fake Tatenda. The shop owner just suspected it was. It turned out to be genuine but that was after the 9 minutes of #KneeOnNeck #icantbreathe.”
Charlene Shumba @CharleneShumba: “Vafanha Ava vakafamba cricket vaakutozviona mavheti . . . it’s nonsense on stilts. Shame.”
Misti Mabhaudhi @JukeBox_ZW: ” Mataura zvepasi pemuswe mudhara. Imboisai henyu phone pa charger!”
Tsitsi Dangarembga @efie41209591: “The story did not start with a fake bank note. The story started with a bank note a cashier believed to be fake and so called the cops. I understand it was not fake. In any case, possession of a fake bank note does not mean one manufactured it or knowingly received or used it.”
Protesting Graduate @TKMRushwaya: “And that’s a golden duck skipper. Off you go to the pavilion.”
Gabriel Mvumvure @GabrielMvumvure: “And the last time I checked the sentence of having a fake bank note isn’t being brutally murdered in broad daylight. Educate yourself on the oppression black people have suffered over the years before you open your mouth next time.”
Optimistic FirstBorn: “Why did you tweet it?”
Sharon R.Nyika @Sharon_R_Nyika: “Sometimes in certain situations it’s better to saying nothing at all.”
Alice Tsungu @TsunguAlice: “Whatever you said after ” however” is rubbish. You should have stopped there.”
MJ @kayolicious: “Ende wanyadzisa Tatenda.”
babegew @jackyTaruvinga: “tanyara zvekuti.”
Itai @Itai22Itai: “I think you missed the facts here cde! Floyd’s death was unjustified no matter what he is supposed to have done. His death was the straw that broke the camel’s back for a people long abused. Don’t rush to judge him until facts about this $20 note are established.”
Wellence Mujuru @WellenceMujuru: “Hauna kuzopedza chikoro uchitamba cricket kaa.”
Scott @ScottTunerman: “Problem with you private school types, you forget that despite your articulate command of the Queen’s language, at the end of the day, you still a ni**a! Not sure which constituency your tweet was meant for but if it’s what i’m thinking, you will NEVER be one of them big fella. Chill.”
Tino Dhehwa Mabwe @tinomabwe: “Was it proved that it was fake? Did he deserve to be murdered? Try analysing cricket but with such a shallow mindset you won’t go anywhere.”
Lesson learnt @chewater: “Your madness is seasonal. We understand.”
Boss Tecnet. @anesu_alpha: “Hakuzi kutsvaga Relevance here uku? Attention Seeker. Keeping Quiet can be Noble sometimes. Kungonyarara soo.”
Mangwiro Nobert @mangwiron: “Taibu you are totally lost, the two issues are not related. Even if Floyd had transgressed, that doesn’t warrant the ill-treatment he received.”
Lovejoy L-Jay Mtongwiza @L_JayMut: “I think you need to (be) bowled out of social media. Your innings on these platforms have been disastrous. Howzat????”
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