s” />LONDON – Even more cooking pots today. Everyone seems to be bringing them to beat the needs of Zimbabwe. People who passed the Vigil took the opportunity to bang a pot hanging from one of our maple trees. Children found this great fun –but many of the parents had heard of the brutal treatment meted out to WOZA supporters. We showed a graphic photo of the injuries inflicted on one of the WOZA ladies in Bulawayo – we pray for her recovery. The awful situation in Zimbabwe was underlined this week by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum report that more than 15,000 cases of organized torture and violence have been documented in Zimbabwe since 2001. A notice about this was stuck on the Embassy window on their new poster “Go to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe’s true wonder is back”. (Perhaps the Falls had fled to Zambia because of torture.)
The Vigil’s deputation to our friends in Germany was given an open-hearted welcome. They were guests of the Harare-Munich Municipal Partnership, which has in effect frozen dealings with the authorities in Zimbabwe but are very supportive of Zimbabweans. Three young Zimbabweans had been hosted and educated in practical skills by Munich and our representatives were there for their farewell party before returning to Zimbabwe. We hope they will spread our message of support for the Zimbabwean people. Ordinary German people are appalled by what is happening in Zimbabwe. Videos taken in Zimbabwe left them in tears. Unfortunately we have to report that the CIO is very active in Germany as elsewhere.
The Vigil has been advised by sources in the British and French governments that the French government might be minded to invite Mugabe to a France/Africa summit in Cannes in February. We have written a letter to the French Embassy to pass on to the new French Ambassador to Zimbabwe pressing him to do all he can to prevent this.
Two other initiatives: Luka handed out letters (in a campaign supported by Amnesty) for Vigil supporters to post to their British MPs pointing out the difficulties facing rejected asylum seekers and calling on the Home Secretary to ensure that they are not forced into destitution and calling for a review of their status. The Free-Zim Youth outlined plans for a march to all SADC Embassies in London to urge them to act on Zimbabwe. Since they are fairly scattered this will be something of a marathon! The first stage will be on 22nd December.
The Vigil drew the attention of lots of Christmas shoppers when we sang the Shona song “Where has the money of Zimbabwe gone”, dating from the Congo enterprise but now given new force by the scramble for diamonds.
For this week’s Vigil pictures: http://uk.msnusers.com/ZimbabweVigil/shoebox.msnw.
FOR THE RECORD: 59 signed the register.
FOR YOUR DIARY: Monday, 18th December, 7.30 pm, Central London Zimbabwe Forum. Venue: the Rose and Springbok, 14 Upper St Martins Lane, WC2H 9DL. Map link: http://makeashorterlink.com/?N2D231EA6. Nearest tubes: Leicester Square, Covent Garden.
Come and join the carol singing in Shona, Ndebele and English outside the Embassy from 5 – 7 pm on 20th December in sympathy with people facing a dismal Christmas back home.
Post published in:
Uncategorized
