Speaking as Chair of the African Union aswell as of SADC, Mugabe said South Africa needed a second liberation which would transfer wealth to blacks marginalised because whites owned most of the land and got most of the employment opportunities. ‘People are unemployed . . . the wrath of South Africans needs to be more directed towards the whites than the blacks’, he said. ‘You can’t live in palaces while others are living in shanties’.
Mugabe called on Africa to stop courting the West for financial support: ‘they say here is money but you do that’, arguing that even with the end of colonialism the oppressors were back in Africa in the form of NGOs: ‘They tell us we should have good corporate governance, human rights . . . human rights? Rule of law? When they sent us to prison . . . ‘
The Vigil is grateful to the loyal Herald for details of Mugabe’s ravings in Botswana (see: SA needs another liberation: President –http://www.zimbabwesituation.com/news/zimsit_w_sa-needs-another-liberation-president-the-herald/).
We know Mugabe has complained that the African Union is largely financed by the West – not to mention SADC itself. We note that Tanzania’s President Jakaya Kikwete is beginning to get the idea, saying that Western donors are setting ‘degrading’ conditions for aid. Tanzania is one of Africa’s biggest aid recipients per head but has had some payments delayed because of concerns about corruption and poor governance.
‘It is unacceptable for our development partners to use their aid stick to pressure us to do certain things or else they will cut aid,’ Kikwete said in a statement issued by the presidency. ‘We will reach a point where we will say this is too degrading . . . keep your aid.’ (See: Tanzanian leader says aid conditions degrading – http://www.newzimbabwe.com/news-22678-Keep+your+aid,+Tanzania+to+tell+West/news.aspx).
The Vigil believes the West is beginning to see the light and we are confident they will do the decent thing and stop forcing financial help on Africa. The European Union certainly shows signs of losing patience over Mugabe’s failure to respond positively to itsconciliatory approaches. The organisation’s parliament on Thursday passed a resolution strongly condemning the forced disappearance of Itai Dzamara. The resolution expressed concern at reports by human rights organisations of increasing political violence and other human rights abuses and called for concerted action by the international community (see: Human rights: Zimbabwe; Thailand; Swaziland – http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/content/20150513IPR55482/html/Human-rights-Zimbabwe-Thailand-Swaziland).
Other points
• The European Parliament also passed two other resolutions about human rights, one on Thailand and the other on Swaziland, in which it called for the release of trade union and political prisoners in Swaziland.
• Thanks to those who came early to help set up the Vigil: Patricia Masamba, Mavis Chisvo, Fungisai Mupandira, Fungayi Mabhunu, Mary Muteyerwa, Grace Rukure, Esther Nyambi, Similenkosi Matiwaza, John Burke, Yvonne Bonde, Bridget Mupotsa, Gladys Nyathi, Brenda Chaundira, Ben Semwayo and Rashiwe Bayisayi.Thanks also to Patricia and Henrietta Mlambo who looked after the front table throughout the Vigil.
For latest Vigil pictures check: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/. Please note: Vigil photos can only be downloaded from our Flickr website.
FOR THE RECORD: 47 signed the register.
EVENTS AND NOTICES:
• Next Swaziland Vigil. Saturday 30th May from 10 am to 1 pm outside the Swaziland High Commission, 20 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6LB.
• Zimbabwe Yes We Can meeting. Saturday 30th May at 12 noon. Venue: The Theodore Bullfrog, 26-30 John Adam Street, London WC2N 6HL.
• Zimbabwe Yes We Can Movement holds monthly meetings in London as the political face of ROHR and the Vigil.
• Zimbabwe Action Forum (ZAF). Saturday 6th June from 6.15 pm. Venue: StrandContinental Hotel (first floor lounge), 143 Strand, London WC2R 1JA. From the Vigil it’s about a 10 minute walk, in the direction away from Trafalgar Square. The Strand Continental is situated on the south side of the Strand between Somerset House and the turn off onto Waterloo Bridge. The entrance is marked by a sign at street level. It's between a newsagent and an optician. Nearest underground: Temple (District and Circle lines) and Holborn.
• Zimbabwe Action Forum (ZAF) meets regularly after the Vigil to discuss ways to help those back in Zimbabwe to fight oppression and achieve true democracy.
• ROHR Executive Meeting: Saturday 6th June at 12 noon. Venue: Strand Continental Hotel (first floor lounge), 143 Strand, London WC2R 1JA. For directions see above.
• ROHR Reading Branch general meeting and outreach. Saturday 13th June from 1 – 5 pm. Venue: Pakistan Community Centre, London Road, Reading RG1 3PA. For further information contact: Charles D Ndlovu 07413879590, Eric Eluwasi 07888310582, Nicodimus Muganhu 07877386792, Deborah Harry 07748723974 and Shylette Chipangura 07828929806.
• ROHR Slough Branch general meeting. Saturday 13th June 2015 from 11 am – 1 pm. Venue: Upton Lea Community Hall, Wexham Road, Slough SL2 5JW. For further information contact Patricia Masamba (Chair) 07708116625, Fungisai Mupandira (Organising Secretary) 07758958803.
• The Restoration of Human Rights in Zimbabwe (ROHR) is the Vigil’s partner organization based in Zimbabwe. ROHR grew out of the need for the Vigil to have an organization on the ground in Zimbabwe which reflected the Vigil’s mission statement in a practical way. ROHR in the UK actively fundraises through membership subscriptions, events, sales etc to support the activities of ROHR in Zimbabwe. Please note that the official website of ROHR Zimbabwe is http://www.rohrzimbabwe.org/. Any other website claiming to be the official website of ROHR in no way represents us.
• Zimbabwe Vigil Highlights 2014 can be viewed on this link: http://www.zimvigil.co.uk/vigil-news/campaign-news/642-zimbabwe-vigil-highlights-2014. Links to previous years’ highlights are listed on 2014 Highlights page.
• Facebook pages:
Vigil: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8157345519&ref=ts
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Zimbabwe-Action-Forum-ZAF/490257051027515
ROHR: https://www.facebook.co/pages/ROHR-Zimbabwe-Restoration-of-Human-Rights/301811392835
• SW Radio Africa’s website and sound archive is being hosted on www.archive.org. Go to the site and type in swradioafrica which will link you to snapshots of their site over the years and at the top of that page a link to their website where, under podcasts, you will find the audio.
The Vigil, outside the Zimbabwe Embassy, 429Strand, London, takes place every Saturday from 14.00 to 18.00 to protest against gross violations of human rights in Zimbabwe. The Vigil which started in October 2002 will continue until internationally-monitored, free and fair elections are held in Zimbabwe. http://www.zimvigil.co.uk.
Post published in: News