The idea is to bring attention to the ongoing political crisis in Zimbabwe and to pressure the South African government to push for the reforms, agreed to by all parties that signed the Global Political Agreement (GPA).
The chairman of the MDC-T UK chapter, Tonderai Samanyanga, told SW Radio Africa that the global protests will focus on South Africa as they were the guarantors of the GPA. He said President Jacob Zuma, as the chief negotiator, should pressure for its fulfillment.
“It would be difficult to say he has done all he can to push for change. We want urgent action not negotiations that lead to more negotiations and no action on reforms,” Samanyanga explained.
“The ANC Secretary General addressed the ZANU-PF conference and pledged to support them in elections,” he said, adding that South Africa has not been impartial in its role as the mediator. ZANU-PF also has links to Equatorial Guinea’s Obiang Nguema, currently the African Union chairman.
In the United States, MDC-T chairman Den Moyo said: “The GPA was the brainchild of former South Africa president Thabo Mbeki, who persuaded SADC this was the right course to take after contested elections in 2008.”
“We believe at that point South Africa bore all the responsibility for the outcome of that arrangement,” Moyo explained. He further criticized Mbeki for blocking discussions on Zimbabwe at the U.N. Security Council, by saying “African problems require African solutions”.
Moyo stressed that it is very important that large numbers of Zimbabweans and supporters show up for the protests, as this will let the world know that we want our country back.
He said: “We have decided enough is enough. Our people are scattered around the world, not by choice but because of the situation back home. It is now up to our people to rise up.”
The global protests are scheduled for January 21st at 10:00 AM. In the United States they will be held at the South African Embassy in Washington and at the consulates in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. In South Africa there will be 15 buses transporting people from Johannesburg to the Union Buildings in Cape Town. Other sites are due to be confirmed.
Detailed information about other locations will be posted on our website on www.swradioafrica.com, as soon as it is available.
We sincerely hope that this time Zimbabweans hear this call to protest and finally come out in their many thousands. It’s time to stop waiting for a saviour and take action. – SW Radio Africa
Post published in: Africa News