We know something about the difficulties facing parents here: one of our supporters served a jail term for disciplining his wayward son in traditional Zimbabwean fashion.
We were glad to be joined by Vigil management team member Patson Mazuwa, who brought a group from Leicester, about 90 miles away. He said there had been trouble there too and his group was appalled at the behaviour.
There was little sympathy at the Vigil for Eddie Cross’s remark in his latest article ‘Marvellous Zimbabwe’. He said: ‘Now we watch the Yobo’s of London and Liverpool trash their cities and burn their future while the Police seem totally incapable’.
The Vigil suggests that Zimbabwe might learn much from these ‘incapable’ policemen. Within a few days 800 people had appeared in courts around the country after being identified by closed circuit television and other means. Interestingly, none of them said they had been tortured – unlike in ‘Marvellous Zimbabwe’.
Indeed, despite their violent behaviour, no looters were killed or seriously injured by the police. If anyone other than Zanu (PF) thugs were allowed to riot in Zimbabwe the police and army would fire on them with live ammunition. All those arrested would be thrown into overcrowded filthy jails to rot indefinitely.
Mr Cross says he is proud of Zimbabwe’s excellent private schools and private health service but his comment about the UK comes at a time when many people here are having to tighten their belts and wondering why they are being asked to help pay for Zimbabwe’s schools and health service. Only this week Britain gave another $1 million for cholera relief.
Whatever the causes of the rioting in the UK, they would certainly be eased by reversing the government cutbacks affecting the police and local services. We at the Vigil are grateful to the UK for offering us a home along with countless other asylum seekers from all over the world. We understand why the British people are beginning to wonder whether the £7-8 billion spent this year on foreign aid could not be spent more fruitfully on local services here.
Talking about foreign aid, a former Foreign Office minister Kim Howells has raised the possibility of cutting off British aid to Zimbabwe – now running at about £100 million a year. He was speaking on a BBC radio programme about CIO attempts to intimidate Zimbabweans in the UK. Mr Howells said foreign aid should be cut off to Zimbabwe and other countries if they threatened people in Britain.
Flowers were laid at the door of the Embassy and a candle was lit by Martin Chinyanga in tribute to MDC activist Maxwell Ncube. A notice said he was abducted and killed by CIO agents and that Mugabe must be charged at the Hague with human rights abuses.
FOR THE RECORD: 77 signed the register.
Post published in: News