Three appeals: help a Zimbabwean go home and vote; sponser independent sources of information; help to protect the vote
Please do what you can to support these appeals.
1. Help a Zimbabwean return home to vote
Three appeals arrived in our inbox today: the first is about a diaspora focussed campaign aiming to help Zimbabweans return home to vote on Friday next week. It is being coordinated by the Peace and Democracy Project (PDP) and the Southern African Women’s Institute for Migration Affairs (SAWIMA).
South Africans are urged to support the ‘Come Home to Vote” campaign, a project to enable Zimbabweans in the Diaspora who are registered on the current voters’ roll to return home to vote in the presidential election run-off on June 27.
In response to numerous requests for travel assistance from displaced Zimbabweans, civic groups and members of the public have donated funds for transportation costs but additional funding is required.
Sponsorship options include assisting an employee with a return ticket, paying for one or more seats on a bus via the www.votezim.com website, or even sponsoring an entire bus.
Employers are also encouraged to give Zimbabwean employees who want to travel home an estimated five days’ leave for the round trip.
Contact these numbers for further information:
Peace and Democracy Project of Zimbabwe:
Mr Mathula Lusinga, Programme Officer
Cell: 084 744 7272
E-mail: mlusinga@yahoo.comOr:
Mr Gilbert Moyo, Project Co-ordinator
Cell: 079 665 8870
E-mail: gil.shel@yahoo.co.ukSouthern African Women’s Institute for Migration Affairs:
Mrs Joyce Dube, Director
Tel: (011) 339 3900
Cell: 079 873 9021
E-mail: sawima2003@yahoo.com
2. Help Zimbabweans to access independent news
The second appeal is from The Zimbabwean and they are asking people in South Africa (but surely this applies to people in other parts of the world too) to buy as many of their papers as possible. The appeal reads:
Every copy of the paper bought here in South Africa pays for seven copies to cross the border [...] With 10-20 readers per copy this will give 70-140 Zimbabweans information on what is happening in their country, fortifying their courage and resolve to vote once again in the face of the horrific violence being meted out by Mugabe’s thugs.
You may remember that we posted an entry a while ago that described how the driver of a vehicle carrying The Zimbabwean newspapers into Zimbabwe was attacked by government agents: the truck was burned out and the driver - a South African - was badly assaulted. This is a picture of the truck.
3. Protect the Vote
The second appeal via email is asking people to donate money towards ‘Protecting Votes’ in Zimbabwe. The text reads:
Please circulate to people who wish to donate money to pay for on the ground infrastructure, like petrol for getting to polling stations, promotional material etc, please send it to:
Acc Name: Protect Your Vote
Standard Bank 025609 Blue route
Ac no 270055045
Swift SBZAZAJJ
There is also a website here giving more information and a link to donate via Paypal.
June 19th, 2008 19:10
I had asked some weeks back if this would be considered a good idea and I am so pleased to see it taking shape…..the fact that 36000 people in Kenya stood up for Zimbabweans and said Mugabe Must go give me great hope and I wish it was on video I would love to see it.