The aged leader, played by management team member, Fungayi Mabhunu, in our Mugabe mask, can be seen leaning heavily on a crutch. But he could still wield a nifty sjambok which he brandished at Fadzai Muparutsa of Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe. Fadzai was at the Vigil with Gideon Shoko, Deputy Secretary General, Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions. They were brought to us by Tor Hungwe-Olson of the Zimbabwe Europe Network to mark UN Human Rights Day.
Gideon passed on to Vigil supporters greetings from the workers of Zimbabwe and said how encouraged he was that we were still ‘pushing the struggle’ after nine years outside the Embassy. He said the situation at home was depressing. There were goods in the shops but most people did not have enough money. Referring to Mugabe’s call for early elections, he said he didn’t believe this was genuine.
“It’s a gimmick for supporters”, he said. As for the constitution-making process: “It is moving like a tortoise – worse still, like our railways with potholes”.
For her part, Fadzai was shivering – not from fear of Mugabe but from the freezing weather. She told us people should not be marginalized for their sexual orientation. “We must come together for freedom,” she declared.
For latest Vigil pictures check: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/.
FOR THE RECORD: 86 signed the register.
Post published in: Africa News