Dark Forces At Play But Light Prevails

Hon. Lovemore Moyo

In an historic turn of events MDC’s National Chairman Hon. Lovemore Moyo was re-elected Speaker of the House on 30 March 2011. Hon. Lovemore Moyo had 105 votes, defeating Robert Mugabe's ZANU PF candidate who received only 93 votes.
  
It bears special mention that the election of Mr Moyo in 2008 was nullified by the Supreme Court three weeks ago after a Zanu-PF official complained that the vote had been "disorderly". What is astounding here comrades is that there was one spoilt ballot which means that 3 Zanu-PF MPs voted for the MDC candidate. These Zanu-PF MPs have decided to be found on the right side of history. The BBC reports that “Hours before the vote, five MDC MPs said they had received bribes of US$5,000 (£3,000) each from a senior Zanu-PF official.” The 5 honourable MDC MPs even paraded the blood money at a press conference held in the capital Harare. If Mugabe’s henchmen thought £3000 was enough to buy democracy they were sorely mistaken.

As we go to Congress in Leeds this Saturday may we be strengthened in our resolve to flush corruption down the toilet where it belongs. I would like to take this opportunity to salute the 5 MPs that refused to take blood money. You did us proud guys. I’m sure all MDC Party Cadres join me in congratulating Hon. Lovemore Moyo on this great victory! Dark forces tried to undermine democracy but the light prevailed.

Audrey Charowa

Vice Secretary

South East District

Women's Assembly

All Roads Lead To Leeds

Leeds - MDC Congress 2nd April 2011

The Movement for Democratic change congress is definitely on this Saturday. The city of Leeds will host the MDC UK & Ireland 5th congress. All MDC members will converge to exercise their constitutional right and vote for new Leadership which will steer us to the new MDC government in Zimbabwe.

South East district will travel as one family. The bus will depart from Westcliffe Train Station SS0 7SB at 0545hrs on Saturday the 2nd April arriving in Leeds just before midday. The bus will only stop at Upminster Train Station at 0630hrs RM14 2TD. All travelling members are required to be at the pickup points at least 15 minutes earlier. We will adhere to the strict timetable to minimise on extra charges. 

The district has a looming bill 0f £1300 incurred on the cancelled congress.

Charles Dliwayo

Organising Secretary

MDC Southend Hausunde

Democracy Is No Spectator Sport - Be An Active Participant

Leeds - MDC Congress 2nd April 2011

Remember fellow activists, our struggle is to fight to preserve, protect and defend the things we value-(human rights, democracy, rule of law, freedom of speech, freedom of association to mention but a few).     

I honestly believe that true and meaningful democratic change in Zimbabwe can only be attained through passionate political activism (Tunisia and Egypt are recent examples).

To me political activism is much more than turning out on voting day and ticking a ballot sheet. That is far too passive and ineffective, and will NEVER be enough to halt the current deterioration of human rights and blatant contempt of rule of law in Zimbabwe.

Instead, to become a bona fide activist, we have to do much more: we have to have such a burning desire to make a difference that we are willing to embody the solution in ourselves, without only resorting to the all too easy recourse of vilifying politicians and/or governments (although it is important to first identify the problem step in trying to find a solution). To embody the solution takes courage, commitment and a deep understanding of how effective people power can be and what we can achieve as a group of steadfast political activists. None (not even Zuma, Mbeki, SADC, EU or whoever), but ourselves can delivery us from this quagmire that Mugabe and Zanu PF led us into.

To illustrate my point of active participation I will share with you a folk story about one famous village hunter called Mutsvuku, which I came cross among many of  Alex Magaisa's political commentaries.

According to this story, years gone by, men would often go on short hunting expeditions, relying on hounds, to chase and capture prey. The loyal hounds would often return with prey after capture and would be duly rewarded.

But during a particularly hard season, the hounds’ behaviour changed. They decided to satisfy their own interest first, which meant often, the hunters returned to the village empty-handed.

Until, that is, a certain fellow decided to take the hounds at their own game. This fellow, affectionately known as Mutsvuku, on account of his light hue, decided that, since the hounds could not be trusted and left to their own devices, he had to do something about it. He decided that it was best to run alongside them. Mutsvuku was so fast, sometimes, he even outpaced the hounds. That ensured that he would always be on hand to retrieve the prey upon capture.

Sometimes, I can’t help thinking that we Zimbabweans have placed too much reliance on hounds to do the chasing of freedom and democracy on our behalf.

You have to look at the character of the hounds upon which we have entrusted our future to see the problem that we currently face in Zimbabwe. Be like Mutsvuku and take responsibility by being an active participant as opposed to being a spectator. Democracy is no spectator sport…be actively involved. Let’s all be in Leeds on 2 April 2011 for the congress.

Together we can make a positive change.

Garikayi Gombera

MDC Southend Hausunde

Message From Mandlenkosi Ncube

Leeds - MDC Congress 2nd April 2011

I would like to congratulate all of my fellow Southend-on-Sea members who made into the South East District Executive... makorokoto - amhlophe.  I myself feel honoured to be given the opportunity to work with you in this executive spectrum.  I believe this is the best war cabinet to continue with the struggle to liberate our beloved Zimbabwe.  As the vice chair for the Youth Assembly I promise not to let the party down and luckily our Youth Assembly is led by a very energetic and committed Mr Tawanda Chiwira which means we will definitely inject a new life into the party..TSHISA MPAMA TSHISA!!

Now as we head to the Congress I urge everyone to make sure you don't miss out on history in the making.  Make sure you are part of it.  We need to join hands in the fight to bring down Mugabe and his compatriots!

Lastly I would like to say good luck to the MDC Southend and South East District candidates as we head for the provincial elections...see you all at the Congress..SOUTHEND- HAUSUNDE!!

Mandlenkosi Ncube

Youth Vice Chairperson

South East District

Branch Meeting | Mai Susan Tsvangirayi Memorial Service | 27th March 2011

MDC Southend will hold and host a memorial service for the Late Mai Susan Morgan Tsvangirayi.Mai Susan Tsvangirayi died in a suspicious car accident on the 6th of March 2009.It will be two years to date.

I am calling on all members of the MDC to join our branch commemorate the sad lose of our gallant mother.We will have our branch meeting as usual at 268 Sutton Road, Southend-On-Sea, SS2 5ET at 1645hours then followed by the memorial services.

I will also remind you that all is set for the congress in Leeds on the 2nd of April. I will all keep you updated.

Charles Dliwayo

Organising Secretary

MDC Southend Hausunde

Violence & Deportation Demonstration 21.03.11

Fed up of the turbulent political situation in Zimbabwe, hordes of anti-government demonstrators today gathered at the South African High Commission in central London to protest against President Robert Mugabe’s continued iron fisted rule.

In a petition addressed to the South African President Jacob Zuma, the protestors demanded;

1.      “That the violence perpetrated by ZANU PF against the opposition stops,

2.      That the Global Political Agreement be implemented in full,

3.      That the constitutional process is completed and,

4.      That the voters roll is overhauled under the oversight of an independent commission.”

As the South African High Commission was closed today due to the demonstration, the signed petition will be presented to the ambassador on Tuesday 22^nd, 2011.

Last month has seen a “renewed sense of siege mood in the country, arbitrary arrests, crackdown on democratic forces and the culture of impunity." A group of academics were arrested and thrown in jail for watching videos of the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia and six of them including Munyaradzi Gwisai, were slapped with a treason charge which carries a death penalty. 

Another petition was sent to Mozambican President Armando Guebuza, the current chair of the SADC protocol on Politics, Defence and Security, imploring him to take President Mugabe to task and ensure, with immediate effect, an end to“…attack on the leadership of MDC and Human Rights activists… and the immediate withdrawal of all security forces from the communal areas.”

    

The third petition was a request to the Hon. Damien Green, Minister of Immigration to “defer deportations” citing intensified harassment of MDC supporters and members by the brutal regime of President Robert Mugabe. The document asks the minister to “directly engage with the leadership of legitimate …opposition parties based in the UK & Ireland in a bid to establish the correct political situation currently prevailing” in Zimbabwe.

Emily Madamombe, the Provincial Chair nominee, vehemently urged the protestors to say “NO” to the deportations. She noted the UK government’s lack of consultation of Zimbabwean nationals in the UK & Ireland prior to endorsing the decision to resume deportations and the failing GPA and SADC.

Otilia Chiwashira, Interim Chair for Women’s Assembly reminded the protesters not to concede to defeat easily. “Revolution is a process”, she said. “We have been here before (SA High Commission), and we will continue to come here until change is effected in Zimbabwe”.

The MDC UK’s Interim Organising Secretary Jeff Sango said: “We realise that the situation in Zimbabwe is not getting any better. We thought the government of national unity was going to change things, but we see an escalation where Mugabe and ZANU PF are very keen on not having a proper road map and free and fair elections in Zimbabwe.”

Joao Ernesto Matandirani
Branch Secretary
MDC Southend Hausunde

Letter From Tawanda Chiwira

Cadres of the MDC UK&I Youth Assembly SE District, Youth Assembly and membership of MDC UK & Ireland

I hope I find you well.  My name is Tawanda Chiwira and I am the South East District Youth Chairman and a member of MDC Southend.  The past couple of weeks have been hectic in preparation for Congress.  Mr Matambanadzo (District Chair) and his Interim team (at the time) performed a commendable job in establishing and reestablishing the branches in our district.  The main, women’s and youth district executive structures were constituted on 26 February 2011, hosted by South East London branch. I thank everybody who helped facilitate the success of this occasion either by attendance, contributory, financial or other means.

The youth executive was elected as follows

Chairman	Tawanda Chiwira
Vice Chairman	Mandlenkosi Ncube
Secretary	Nomagugu Ndiweni
Vice Secretary	Vimbai Ngurama
Treasurer	TBA
Organising Secretary	Crispen Zawayira
Vice Organising Secretary	Qinisela Moyo

Today's protest is an important stage in our well documented activity and is such a huge happenstance in that it is not just for fellow MDC members but for all Zimbabweans who are affected by the well documented increase in violence and oppression.  

I further commend Linah Mtambanuki, recently elected Southend youth chair in her mobilisation efforts for her branch. I also take further pleasure in announcing that fellow Southend youth member, Mandlenkosi Ncube, deputises me in the role of Chair of the South East district. These are big shoes to fill and so far you have shown you are up to the task. I would like to also make special mention to Angelbert Munjanja, Southend committee member with his handy camera work and timeless hours labouring in front of a computer screen to make sure that this blog is regularly and constantly updated in a way that is consistent with the high standards that we come to expect of MDC Southend.

SEE YOU AT TODAY'S PROTEST

ZIMBABWE EMBASSY 12 NOON

CHINJA!

Tawanda Chiwira

MDC UK&I South East District Youth Chair

MDC Southend Hausunde

MDC DEMONSTRATIONS IN LONDON

Tomorrow, Monday 21st March 2011, we will have mother of all demonstrations in London. MDC South East District will lead this demonstration. All members of the MDC in the United Kingdom and all Zimbabweans are being encouraged to attend Zimbabwean Embassy at 1200 noon.We will stand against Robert Mugabe's brutality in Zimbabwe. The unnecessary arrests of  MDC party members and failure to respect the constitutes of the (GNU) Government of  National Unit.

We will also push for the Host nation to realise that Zimbabwe is a war zone. We are actually in a worse situation than Libya. As the district Women Organising Secretary I challenge all women to brace this day. Women are the vanguard of any revolution and I hope you will all come. I also urge the youth to attend and be counted on this Historic moment. The hour has come. 

Hlengwa Helen Mahlangu

South East District Women Organising Secretary

MDC Southend Hausunde

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF SOUTHEND-ON-SEA

I strongly sympathise with Honourable Mangoma’s family, The Movement for democratic change at large, our party leadership and all members with the worrying developments in Zimbabwe.

I believe we are a progressive party, a party of excellence and we chose to take this unpredictable and difficult desert journey and we are committed to it. The party has experienced a lot more than this. The party has seen the arrest and subsequent deaths of the likes of Learnmore Jongwe, Tonderai Ndira, the death of our gallant Mother Mai Morgan Susan Tsvangirayi just to mention a few. Our minds are still fresh from genocide of the 2008 general election and we have thousands of people languishing in remand prisons.

President Morgan Tsvangirayi has predicated another violent election this year showing that the party should have a strategic plan for this. It is not acceptable in any modern democracy to cancel the MDC UK and Ireland congress at such a short notice. We went to bed with the devil and these are the things which the party should have prepared for. We knew chairman Moyo's court date and contingency plans should have been in place .Worse it’s a civil matter and has no reporting conditions at the notorious Law and order section or Highlands police station. The party has a department which is responsible for external structures.

I hope the party has considered all the financial obligations we have entered as branches. Most importantly our party image to the international forum. I cannot imagine any serious political party to postpone such a significant and historic event for the same reasons. To me it’s just a lame excuse. We are a government in waiting. We are not a grasshopper which its life ends when it looses its legs. We should prove our difference with Zanu PF, with no Robert Mugabe there is no Zanu pf.

I was personally anticipating this. Our party integrity needs to be questioned. Honestly how was Chairman Moyo going to engage with United kingdom province without making public the long awaited' Sipepa Nkomo report’. Worse still most of his travelling contingents were implicated in the UK financial saga. I can liken this to throwing the chairman in a Lion's den. As a party we should learn from events. I wonder how the Chairman was going to handle the angry members when our very own President failed in London. Is chairman Moyo the sacrificial lamb? 

The problems we are facing as a party in the United Kingdom can only be solved when Sipepa Nkomo recommendations are considered and a contingent or a unison plan has been put by National organising secretary, Treasury, external affairs department and strict adherence to the part constitution and code of conduct. It should also not fall short of a visit by a strong contingent of senior elected party members who have an obligation to the constituency.  

Chinja Maitiro 

Stanford Biti

Chairman Southend On Sea

MDC Southend Hausunde

UK and Ireland Congress Postponed

PRESS RELEASE

Due to some worrying political developments in Zimbabwe, our leadership has resolved to postpone the holding of the MDC-UK & Ireland Provincial congress, which was scheduled for the 12^th March 2011, to a later date to be announced.

The Secretary General of our party will be issuing a communication on the above issue soon. The UK & Ireland Leadership is in consultation with its structures on a way forward given this latest development.

Tonderai Samanyanga

Interim Chair

MDC UK & Ireland External Assembly

SOURCE: MDC UK & IRELAND WEBSITE

VOTE MUNETSI OLIVER JANGWA

CAMPAIGN STATEMENT SECRETARY

VOTE SUZEET KWENDA

PROVINCIAL SECRETARY