Exhilarated after today’s prayer procession
I’ve just had a phone call from a friend of mine in Bulawayo, who is exhilarated by this morning’s procession to commemorate the Murambatsvina removals one year ago (that was the name given to the regime’s illegal and inhumane destruction of the houses and informal businesses of the poorest of the poor).
He said that there were maybe 300 people there by the end, and it all went very peacefully with minimal police interference. He reckons that was because of yesterday’s court ruling allowing the priests and pastors to go ahead with this procession.
Apparently, everyone met at the church in Makokoba and walked, singing, behind a group of priests with banners, all the way to another church on the outskirts of town. He said that there were a few police around, but not many, and the policemen all seemed to leave when the procession arrived at the second church and had an open-air service there.
I was quite envious of my friend, and wished that I had been able to be there as well. It just shows that the people of his country do care for what happens to the poor, and it shows just what the church can do when it joins together in the name of God.
The sad thing is that so many of the people affected by Murambatsvina are still living in complete poverty, some without houses, and in villages far from their home areas, and far from the towns where they had jobs before. All the promises of new houses and healthcare and other things have been broken, and these poor people face yet another winter without proper shelter. And the government who created this situation doesn’t seem to care.
August 2nd, 2006 17:12
Zimbabwean youth petition Tony Blair over Zim crisis
By Tererai Karimakwenda
28 July 2006
A group of Zimbabwean youths in the UK organized a demonstration Friday against Mugabe’s selection of former President of Tanzania, Benjamin Mkapa, as the mediator to handle Zimbabwe’s crisis. The youth formed an organization called Free Zim earlier this year and vowed to become active on the political landscape. And true to their name they joined forces with veterans from the Zimbabwe Vigil and marched from the Zimbabwe Embassy to 10 Downing Street Friday afternoon. Alois Phiri told us about 150 people had joined the march as they left for Prime Minister Tony Blair’s official residence. Phiri said they would hand over a letter to Blair urging him not to be fooled by Mugabe’s diversion tactics. He explained that no mediation is needed between Zimbabwe and Britain because Mugabe needs to negotiate with Zimbabweans.
The United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan cancelled a trip to Zimbabwe after Mugabe refused to accept him as a mediator when the two met at the African Union summit in the Gambia earlier this month. Mugabe insisted that Mkapa act as the mediator. Annan has been criticized strongly for not putting any pressure on Mugabe on this issue. Phiri blasted Mkapa calling him a supporter of Mugabe’s repressive policies. He said: “We are going to send a letter to Tony Blair urging him not allow this diversion. We all know that Mugabe is the Zimbabwe crisis.” Phiri also expressed concern over the fact that Annan’s term of office at the UN ends this year. He said Zimbabweans will be forced to suffer even longer while Annan’s replacement gets up to speed with the situation.
As we spoke to Phiri Friday demonstrators could be heard singing in Shona and Ndebele as they marched to Downing Street. Phiri said it is time Zimbabwean youth made a difference by standing up and speaking out against the Mugabe regime. A statement released by Free Zim and The Vigil group said: “Zimbabweans in the diaspora insist that the mediation initiative is a diversion designed to avoid the spotlight falling on Zimbabwe where people are still being driven from their homes and livelihoods as Operation Murambatsvina (drive out trash) continues.”
Regarding their message to the British prime minister, the statement said: “Zimbabwean groups in the UK are calling on Tony Blair to dismiss the notion that there is a dispute between Zimbabwe and Britain and to press for the UN to continue their fact finding initiatives to establish what exactly is happening in the country, where most international journalists are banned and local reporters carefully vetted”.
August 8th, 2006 21:41
Charity begins at home Mr Mbeki
Well its a shame that we young Africans are having a deficit in role-models.All our heroes are falling from heroes to zeros,here im talking about South African President Thabo Mbeki,its sounds to ambitions for Mbeki to stretch hinself saying South Africa is ready to intervene in the Middle East if called on to support peace initiatives by United Nations.Well it is very vital for South Africa(region)join hands with the International community in pushing for a immediate ceasefire in the Middle East,but i think Mbeki has go too much homework(Zim crisis) to be looking at.He says it is essential to endthe hostilities,Mbeki openly point-out the negative and positive things that will pave way for peace in the Middle east supporting a transition and the need for negoitiations between Isreal(which is a good thing).He even said that his Gvt will launch a joint iniative with South African civil society to channel humanitarian aid to the Middle East.
Well charity begins at home Mr President,Mbeki was given a mandate to solve the Zim crisis but he has failed to aknowledge the Zim crisis,why go next to solve problems when in your own house people are being denied life in Zimbabwe.How can he see hostilities in the Middle East when he cant see the children in Zim who are being denied health care,a basic meal,clean water,basic education who are sleeping outdoors in sharks not because of natural disasters but because of a ruthless regime,is he Mbeki waiting for a civil war for him to intervene or is ittheir is no casulties.Or is it South Africa is benefiting a lot with the Zim crisis,all doctors,teachers,lawyers,builders,prominate people,investors are flieeng Zim into South Africa contributing a lot to the SA economy,if thier is any company going down they are buying out(zesa-eskom)mining interest.Why destroy your fellow brothers and sisters in Zim,Mbeki needs to openly critisize Mugabe’s policies which has lead the country to ruins,he needs to point out that their is need for a transition in Zim,but above all On behalf of the Zim community in diaspora we wish to send a need for immediate ceasefire in the Middle East,in respect to the childen(innocent souls)who are being subjected to the hostile situation.
Alois Phiri Mbawara
Free-Zim
August 13th, 2006 19:21
African Castro
I have always admired and respected our Chimurenga history starting from the First Chimurenga how our Ancestors Ambuya Nehanda and Sekuru Kaguvi played a massive role in protecting our Sovereignity and their resistance against minority rule, these political figures(Nehanda&Kaguvi)will always be remembered,respected and will be a silverspoon which will be passed on from a generation to another(An Icon).So as the Second Chimurenga to a certain extend.I strongly believe with a letter posted 3 Aug Liberator turned monster.We all had respect for our liberators after Independants till they started to take Zimbabwe as their personnal property.
Mugabe has managed to mislead the Region(AU)that the economic and political meltdown in the Savanna Climate was due to Economic sanctions imposed by EU due to his controversial land reform.Mugabe used the land reform as a political gimmick not only as a way of propaganda to gain support from Zimbabwean electorate but farmost to spear controversy among Africans.It is 100% true the Land question has always been a driving force for Independants for us Africans and the bond between Africans.But the way it was done in Zimbabwe was with no logic and unconstitutional,Mugabe failed to to address the Land issue according to the Lancaster House agreement.He tolerated corruption(Kangai the first corrupt Minister)within his Gvt officials which lead to the drastic meltdown of the economy and farmost no trust in his Gvt from ordinary Zimbabweans.i strongly believe the Zimbabwean solution lays in the region,it our civic right and responsibility(Zimbabweans)to strive hard and expose to our African countparts that the Zim situation is due to ones misrule not racial issue.We need to expose to our African brothers that the economic meltdown in our motherland is due to one who has jeopardise the Agricultural system which was the backbone of the Economy ,one who has with no logic taken farms from Commercial farmers(from a economy which is based on Agriculture)giving them to Subsistence farmers.Differance between the 2 farming systems (1)Commercial farmer produce for commercial bases(2)Subsistence farmer does for his own consumption(might sale if have an extra yeild)We need to expose to our African brothers how it is impossible to campaign or win any election with the present constitution(the need for a constitutional reform)
Why some African countries are not critisizing Mugabe its because Mugabe’s propaganda’s tactics have worked in selling the Zimbabwean situation as a bilaterial dispute between Harare and London taking Africans back to the start of Pan Africanism,hence the Land reform in Namibia,South Africa giving Mugabe the Fidel Castro image.Castro has a long bilateral dispute with the West(mainly America)for his Undemocratic styles towards his people.Even though i dont fully support America’s influence towards Havanna its pledge of $US80m to fund Anti-Castro organisations in Cuba to spearhead the end of the Communist rule is wrong,it is very crucial for Cubians themselves to be on the centre stage of pushing for a democratic transition not a direct involvement of the Bush Administration this will give Castro support from his other communist allies China,Venezuela,Russia,Korea,Mugabe and libya(but now reforming)No wonder why he is celebrated as a hero throughout Latin America.
In conclusion we Zimbabweans need to work with our African counterparts for them to acknowledge the Zimbabwean crisis.I think its high time we respect and follow the fundamental principles and rules of art of war, our attack formation has to change lets study and learn our opponents so as to win them,i think i have mentioned it before but now i mean it Mugabe has succeeded regionally in using the Colonial card to dismiss any EU interferance and the more pressure given to Mugabe the more he get regional support,that is why Annan is failing to openly critisize Mugabe becoz of Annan’s roots Ghana(the birth place of Pan-Africanism)But it is a shame the original Ideology of Pan-Africanism by Kwame Krumah was to serve the will the people but now it has been catastrophed by self interest it is now used to selve the will of African leaders.Its high time we put pressure on our African brothers not to turn a blind eye on the escaliting situation in Zimbabwe and to critisize them to save and sympathize with Zimbabweans not Mugabe.We Zimbabweans we should be in a position to dismiss and react to Sam Nujoma’s notion who recently threw a baseless defence of Zimbabweans from British invasion and educate them that we Zimbas need liberation from Mugabe regime .Lets all try and stop this African Fidel Castro before it spread in the Region.Zimbabwe should be an example for Africa of emancipation from so-called Liberators.
It is important for us Young Africans to realise and recorgnise the fall of prideness and oneless as Africans and push for a reform of African Union for the sack of our future and our Unborn children.And as we always say our criticism is liberty why coz the Mugabe regime has never done anything for us(Youth) with all our Zim nation being denied their civic rights.
Alois Phiri Mbawara
Free-Zim Youth
UK