Howzat! – Zimbabwe Vigil Diary

The decision was made at the ICC’s annual meeting in London and follows the Zimbabwean decision last month to sack the board of Zimbabwe Cricket. ICC Chairman Chashank Manchar said what happened in Zimbabwe was a serious breach of the ICC constitution and could not be allowed to continue unchecked. He called for the elected cricket board to be reinstated within three months.

Mr Manchar said: ‘We do not take the decision to suspend a member lightly but we must keep our sport free from political interference’. Reports say the ICC was concerned that millions of dollars of funding it provided may have been diverted rather than used for the development of the game

The mess has been blamed on President Mnangagwa’s son-in-law Gerald Mlotshwa who was recently surprisingly appointed Chairman of the Sports and Recreation Commission which took the decision to suspend the board.

A ZC official told Zimlive that the organization depended on ICC grants and there will be no tours and no salaries for staff and players until the government stops interfering in cricket.

The scandal of Zimbabwean cricket is dwarfed however, by revelations in Parliament that top government officials don’t know anything about what happened to $3 billion provided by the Treasury to fund Command Agriculture.

Howzat! for corruption?

Other points

• The human rights situation in Zimbabwe continues to deteriorate. Activists are scared to voice their concerns because of the government’s brutal approach to dissent. On 27^th July ROHR and the Vigil will take part in a 15 mile walk to the Zimbabwean Embassy in London to raise funds in support of human rights and democracy in Zimbabwe. ROHR President Ephraim Tapa explains why in an article ‘Walking for human rights under a military dictatorship in Zimbabwe’ which you can read on our Campaign page (see: http://www.zimvigil.co.uk/vigil-news/campaign-news/1024-walking-for-human-rights-under-a-military-dictatorship-in-zimbabwe-). For details of the walk see ‘Events and Notices’ below.
• Thanks to those who came early to help set up the front table today and put up the banners: Happy Chazuza, Beaulah Gore, Jonathan Kariwo, Margaret Munenge, Esther Munyira, Mary Muteyerwa Hazvinei Saili and Ephraim Tapa. Thanks to Beaulah, Margaret, Esther, Patricia Masamba and Dambudzo for looking after the front table, to Hazvinei and Happy for handing out flyers and to Mary for drumming.
• For latest Vigil pictures check: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimb88abwevigil/. Please note: Vigil photos can only be downloaded from our Flickr website.

FOR THE RECORD: 17 signed the register.

EVENTS AND NOTICES:

• Walk for human rights under a military dictatorship in Zimbabwe. Saturday 27^th July. Vigil and ROHR activists will be starting a 15-mile walk from Redbridge station at 8.30 am to (hopefully) reach the Vigil by 2 pm. Contact: Esther Munyira 07492058109, Sipho Ndlovu 07400566013, Patricia Masamba and Farai Muroiwa 07365431776.
• ROHR general members’ meeting. Saturday 10^th August from 11.30 am. Venue: Royal Festival Hall, South Bank Centre, Belvedere Road SE1 8XX. Contact: Ephraim Tapa 07940793090, Patricia Masamba 07708116625.
• ROHR Beach Barbecue. Sunday 25^th August – Date tbc. Venue: Frinton-on-Sea, Essex CO13 9DN. Contact: Patricia Masamba 07708116625 and Heather Makawa 07716391800.
• 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.
• The Vigil’s book ‘Zimbabwe Emergency’ is based on our weekly diaries. It records how events in Zimbabwe have unfolded as seen by the diaspora in the UK. It chronicles the economic disintegration, violence, growing oppression and political manoeuvring – and the tragic human cost involved. It is available at the Vigil. All proceeds go to the Vigil and our sister organisation the Restoration of Human Rights in Zimbabwe’s work in Zimbabwe. The book is also available from Amazon.
• Facebook pages:
  Vigil: https://www.facebook.com/zimbabwevigil
  ROHR: https://www.facebook.com/Restoration-of-Human-Rights-ROHR-Zimbabwe-International-370825706588551/
  ZAF: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Zimbabwe-Action-Forum-ZAF/490257051027515