The Zimbabwean Alliance for Human Rights (ZAHR) in partnership with the Zimbabwe Smart Politics Campaign(ZSPC) will on June 27 commemorate hundreds of Zimbabweans who were killed ,injured and displaced during the run up to the bloody June 2008 Presidential re-run.
ZAHR Organising Secretary, Josiah Sibanda said this years commemorations
will be held in Mberengwa and Chinhoyi.The inaugural commemorations were last
year held in Mutare and the commmmorations were disrupted by armed police and
Zanu (PF) militia.
The real heroes and heroines who died for the rights of all of us during
the state sponsored barbaric violence in the run up to the 27 June 2008
Presidential run off should always be remembered. Never again should
Zimbabwean people be sacrificed for self gratification of a few individuals.
At this years commemorations we want to send a strong message to Zanu (PF)
and all perpetrators of violence that enough is enough, Sibanda told The Zimbabwean on Tuesday.
Sibanda said the organisers of the event had chosen the Midlands and
Mashonaland provinces to host the event this year because of the high
incidences of political violence reported in these provinces during the run up
to the June 27 2008 presidential run off.
Last year , the inaugural commemorations were held in Mutare and ended up
with confrontations with the Police and Zanu (PF) supporters . The main
theme for this years event isBIG NO TO VIOLENCE. Sibanda said he was happy
that local businesses had agreed to contribute food and drink towards the
event to add to the contributions by ZAHR and Sisonke group in Scotland. He
stressed that the event is not a political event and as such most
presentations will be from Civic society, community leaders and victims. We
hope people will be able reflect and realise that no one is worth killing for
or dying for. he said.
Sibanda also revealed that this year, four dependants of victims of political
violence will have a years school fees paid by ZAHR.
Post published in: Politics