Details

Written by: Basil Kamombe, Moses Mbano and John Burke

Published: 20 May 2024

Last Updated: 23 May 2024

Hits: 1640

• PVO Bill
• Injustice
• Zanu PF Chaos
• Petition Update

UPDATE: Demo and Petition confirmed by Diplomatic Police Unit for 14:00 on Thursday 30th May 2024.

**This will be subject to the UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, calling for a General Election NOW CONFIRMED for 4th July 2024, and thus drastically increasing the 'activity' around 10 Downing Street including a "media circus" of reporters and photographers in the next week or so. Therefore we have also alerted the Zimbabwe Desk at the FCDO to receive the Petition as well.

AS ZIMBABWEANS BASED ACTIVISTS IN THE UK PLAN FOR A DEMONSTRATION IN LONDON, UK.

The Zimbabwean President must not sign the new law proposed; which is the PVO Private Voluntary Organisation Amendment Bill. #STOPPVOBILL

Responding to the PVO hearings which took place last week in Zimbabwe, Basil Kamombe a UK based Activist has condemned the violence which likely shows that a number of people present were bussed-in by Zanu-PF ‘elites’ and politicians. Cases of violence were recorded during the hearings.

“This bill is disastrous and especially a time where the Zimbabwean government is just passing laws that are shrinking the democratic space in Zimbabwe.”

How would something that likely benefit the country, but have a group of people singing

“Asingade ngaabude muZimbabwe” meaning if you don’t, want leave Zimbabwe or slogans like “tengesa uone mashura” (sellout and see what happens) it is the language of Zanu-PF and the language of violence to instil fear to those against the Bill,”

We managed to track down other Activists who have joined hands to organise a number of demonstrations in London including petitions for the international community to see the injustice of the constitution taking place in Zimbabwe. Greatman Makipa shared his concern on the impact of the PVO Bill on how it will be made difficult for Human Rights Organisations to be registered in Zimbabwe, ZHRO also expressed their concern as the support coming through for development fund in Zimbabwe is close to a billion dollars and Zimbabwe will likely lose all that funding because of this absurd law if it is passed, these organisations have been helping the lives of many Zimbabweans since the government does no little help to its own citizens.

Ronald Mutumbi also made his comment on how about 4 members of the CCC were arrested in Masvingo for disrupting PVO Bill hearings of which the Zanu-PF youth militia, who are the real culprits, are walking scot free. It is evident that the Bill itself is a ‘criminal’ bill to the Citizens who are already suffering in the hands of the regime. As part of the demonstration we have Human Rights Activists who will be joining in who shared their concern over the ongoing constitution injustice in Zimbabwe.

Like Michelle Nokuthaba Mpofu, Diana Machingauta, Tendai Christian Mapfumo, Xoliso Sithole, Simbarashe Jingo, who are based in the UK who are fearlessly speaking out against the regime which is endangering their lives. We also saw Job Sikhala was threatened last week with Zanu-PF government to charge him with the Patriotic Act after speaking at the Human Rights Summit in Geneva, Switzerland.

Read more: Stop the Constitutional Injustice

Details

Written by: Tendai Biti

Published: 26 January 2024

Last Updated: 26 January 2024

Hits: 1582

Zimbabwe is at a crossroads. The weight of a stolen election, unprecedented corruption and the looting of public assets sits heavy on the shoulders of Zimbabweans who want and deserve better.

• This morning around 1 am { Dec 4, 2023} ,two armed men raided @HMBChambers the home of Tendai Biti Law, they abducted a security officer & later dumped him in Manavale. They asked him questions of a political nature which he, of course, could not respond to as it is not his line of work.
• We condemn the use of intimidation and security apparatus to violate rights of dissenting views. We hope the matter will be fully investigated by the police. No one should feel unsafe in Zim. We restate that Tendai Biti Law is a law firm not a political party office.
• Employees who work at Tendai Biti Law are professionals hired for their competencies and not for politics, they should not be dragged into any party politics or intimidated.

Earlier comments on 11^th November 2023.

The environment in the world right now is toxic. The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have pushed Zimbabwe to the bottom of the world's attention calendar. This has allowed the vampire state here to carry out brazen election fraud.

Not satisfied, the regime is now engaged in a malicious push to weaken our struggle, the progressive movement, through the illegal recall of elected public representatives. It is therefore shocking to hear, and read, a daily stream of abusive, malicious and defamatory claims that Professor Welshman Ncube and I, are colluding with the regime and its proxies to append a struggle that have occupied and consumed all our adult lives.

I do not speak for Prof Ncube, an honest and decent comrade who buried his dear mother on Friday, but as someone who has been in this struggle for as long as I have, one who has endured Zanu PF's jails and physical attacks by the same, it is heartbreaking, if not tragic, that many Cdes that have been with us on this journey are now given false labels and badges, Zanu PF wish they had coined first.

I don't believe in recalls. I have never been part of recalls. I will never be part of recalls. In my life, I have been recalled twice in 2015 and in 2021 through the pernicious use of section 129(1)(k) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.

I know the pain of a recall. My family knows the pain of a recall. The people of Harare East know the pain a recall. With other MPs, such as Temba Mliswa, we unsuccessfully fought for the removal and repeal of section 129(1)(k). Like most Zimbabweans, I only get to read about the patently illegal recalls by Mr. Tshabangu in the newspapers.

Given what I and my family have given to this struggle, it saddens me that I have to state publicly that I will never be part of a project to weaken the democratic struggle in Zimbabwe.

I have been imprisoned and tortured for the change we all seek, and I have stood firm. I have never worked for Zanu PF, and I will die before I lend my hand to the illegitimate Zanu PF regime.

I had hoped to be a Member of Parliament. I have my reservations about the process that prevented this happening. I have my challenges and reservations about our identity, structural, strategic and procedural polity.

I am a democrat who believes in constitutionalism, the rule of law, transparency, openness and collective leadership.

I can never compromise on these core values.

However, no dispute nor differences is ever sufficient to place one at the service of Zanu PF.

I have a daily job at my law practice and that's where I have retreated to fight for Zimbabweans in that sphere of my influence. Additionally, I have progressive international engagements that require my full attention.

Fellow Zimbabweans, all this chatter and actions by the illegitimate regime and its proxies are an engineered distraction from the main prize: to free ourselves from this rapacious dictatorship. It has been a long and tortuous road; and victory is closer than the distance back to where we started.

Tendai Biti
11 November 2023

Details

Written by: Shamiso Moyo

Published: 22 January 2024

Last Updated: 22 January 2024

Hits: 1474

My name is Shamiso Moyo. I am a mother of three children and a grandmother of two. I am a human rights activist and a politician in my own right.

I am a Zimbabwean by birth and descent. I have lived in the UK since 2015 and l am still a stateless law abiding person.

Zimbabwe was once upon a time a bread basket and jewel of Southern Africa. It was at some point an envy of many Africa countries. It had one of the best judiciary systems, police force and army and once upheld its constitution to the letter.

All this has gone down the drain and it has become a banana republic. There is no rule of law, there is captured judiciary, partisan army and police.

When Job Sikhala was harassed and taken to Chikurubi maximum prison on 14th June of 2022 my heart was broken. I thought it was going to be a few weeks or months given the circumstances surrounding his case then which was representing the family of the gruesome murder of Moreblessing Ali.

However alas, one and a half years {587 days or nearly 88 weeks} Job Sikhala is still on remand in the maximum security prison. This is painful as a woman, a mother, a wife, a sister and worse a child of Job. How all those relations of his are feeling. I keep asking myself whether a leader like ED {the squatting [self proclaimed] president} has a 'conscience' at all;  this is just about his ego.

Zimbabwe no longer worry themselves about abiding to the constitution which should govern the country they worry about pleasing their masters.

Today (22^nd January - see Photo-log HERE) was a very cold day and l braved the cold and rain and chose to be there for Job Sikhala and his family; my heart bleeds for a better Zimbabwe. Not for politics only but for Human Rights. I was there and l could not control my tears and l continue to seek justice for all prisoners of conscience.

Job Sikhala is a bona-fide citizen of Zimbabwe, a qualified lawyer and was an honorable Member of Parliament at the time. He is a father, a husband, a brother an uncle and someone else's son who is languishing in prison for nothing.

His offence is being a voice of the voiceless the down trodden. His offence is demanding justice for the gruesome murder of Moreblessing Ali and most importantly being a prisoner of conscience.

All these have caused him to be locked behind bars for 18 months without conviction. He has been denied bail and has been denied his family and friends. He is languishing in jail in iron legs for a crime they have failed to establish for 18 months and yet they cannot bail him. Job Sikhala has suffered the highest magnitude of injustice just because Ed Mnangagwa says so!

This is the reason l decided to go and plead on his behalf for the World to intervene. Job Sikhala is going for trial on 24 January 2024 again for a countless number of times can the captured judiciary of Zimbabwe for wants render this soul justice can they give him bail and let him go to his family. This abuse of power and authority must come to an end.

As a human rights activist and politician l always fear for my life Zimbabwe is not a safe place. Many people have been abducted and tortured and left for dead. Some have been murdered just for what they believe in. After the August 23 elections five people have been murdered for political reasons and the murderers are still roaming the streets free.

Zimbabwe needs to be made to realise that they must change and must respect the will of the people.

As l board the bus back from London to Coventry l could not stop to think about all the injustices people in Zimbabwe are suffering and l cannot see an end to all this in the near future. This is going to continue because Zanu PF wants to silence the voices of reason so that they continue to loot the resources of the country.

We will continue to speak we will continue to expose the madness of Zanu PF. Alluta continua

Strangely enough there were Zanu PF sympathisers present today who claimed to be  "journalists" for Zimba Wave Media {see for yourself as there are several highly partisan articles from the discredited Dr{??} MASIMBA MAVAZA!} The chap who made some amazing claims about ZHRO's John Burke during the amazing COP26 Protests and demonstrations where the only headline Zanu PF made was about the "Booze Cruise" as featured on the TV Show "Have I Got News For You as seen on Twitter/X and See ZHRO Article Link HERE

""At Zimba Wave Media, we believe in the power of storytelling to inspire, entertain, and influence positive change"" It seems they are very much focused on the Story Telling side, and a bit scarce on the FACTS! 

Details

Written by: Chido Shamu

Published: 07 January 2024

Last Updated: 05 February 2024

Hits: 1407

Source: Chido Shamu

As Zimbabwe grapples with a persistent political spectacle, the country finds itself at the threshold of yet another series of by-elections. Scheduled for February 3, these elections are being scrutinized as an extravagant expense by a government already struggling with financial constraints. This decision to channel significant public funds into the electoral process is drawing widespread criticism, particularly as it comes at a time when the nation’s hospitals are in a state of decay and its roads are deteriorating.

The backdrop to this situation is a prolonged political charade that has plagued Zimbabwe for years. The ruling party’s insistence on maintaining a one-party state agenda has led to a series of decisions that prioritize political machinations over critical public services. The upcoming by-elections are seen as the latest manifestation of this agenda, widely regarded as unnecessary and a lavish expenditure of scarce public resources.

Critics argue that the government’s decision to proceed with these by-elections is a blatant misallocation of funds. Zimbabwe’s economy, already reeling under various pressures, can ill-afford such extravagance. The cost of conducting these elections is substantial, and many contend that this money could be better spent on improving the country’s crumbling healthcare infrastructure and repairing its dilapidated roads.

Hospitals across Zimbabwe are in dire straits. Medical facilities lack basic equipment and supplies, and healthcare workers are often forced to work under challenging conditions with inadequate support. The situation is so grave that in some areas, hospitals are unable to provide even the most basic healthcare services to the population. This neglect has led to a decline in the overall health and well-being of the populace, with preventable diseases becoming increasingly prevalent.

Moreover, the country’s infrastructure, particularly its road network, is in a state of disrepair. The roads, plagued by potholes and a general lack of maintenance, pose a significant risk to public safety and hinder economic activities. The transportation of goods and services is severely affected, impacting the livelihoods of many, especially those in rural areas.

The government’s insistence on going ahead with the by-elections is being viewed as a tactic to consolidate power rather than a genuine effort to facilitate democratic processes. This perception is fueled by the fact that the ruling party has historically used such elections to strengthen its grip on power, often at the expense of the broader needs and aspirations of the Zimbabwean people.

In conclusion, as Zimbabwe prepares for these by-elections, there is a growing sense of frustration and disillusionment among its citizens. Many see these elections as an unnecessary diversion of resources that could be better used to address the pressing issues facing the country. The government’s priorities are being questioned, and there is a palpable sense of urgency for a change in approach – one that puts the needs of the people and the nation above political ambitions.

This situation in Zimbabwe is a stark reminder of the delicate balance between political aspirations and the fundamental needs of a nation. As the by-elections approach, the world watches to see if Zimbabwe will continue down this path or if there will be a shift towards prioritizing the well-being of its people over political gains. The answer to this will not only shape the future of Zimbabwe but also serve as a lesson for other nations facing similar challenges.