ZimEye:ZEC Boss Dies ‘In Mysterious Circumstances’

A cloud of mystery hangs over the sudden death of a senior Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) official, Mr. Shupikai Mashereni whose departure came barely a week after demanding his dues for his service in ZEC. It is alleged that he began pestering a named official from the ministry of State Security for a farm measuring 70 hectares that he had been promised soon after the 2013 Zimbabwe elections.

Click here and read the rest of story by Audrey Charowa

ZimEye: Audrey Charowa

Click here and read the latest news from MDC Southend On Sea cadre, Audrey Charowa

Angelbert Munjanja

Blog/Webmaster

MDC Southend Branch

MDC President Addresses UK & Ireland Assembly

The elections on 31st July came and went. Most Zimbabweans worldwide were shocked, disillusioned and outraged by the election results.

Bright Manjengwa, Morgan Richard Tsvangirai, Caston Matewu and Abel Kamwendo

It was within this backdrop of despondency that the president himself Morgan Richard Tsvangirai addressed the party faithful in Croydon on the 26th of October 2013. A lot of questions were also being asked and many wondered if we would ever see a democratic Zimbabwe.   Some UK and Ireland branches were represented by their executives and our branch, Southend-on-Sea, was well represented. Three of our branch members, Patty Murwira, Maidei Ali, Charles Dliwayo and Abel Kamwendo were selected to be part of the security and Protocol detail.

Like most disgruntled Zimbabweans, we had many questions to ask and but due to time constraints only fielded five of them during the meeting with the president. Stanford Biti , Southend branch chairperson, presented the questions for South East District to the president  and the rest of the other districts followed suit.

Dr Tsvangirai acknowledged that people were in shock and angry at the blatant theft by the Robert Mugabe regime. He explained to the party cadres how the election was lost, in fact stolen from us. To him, it was not an election but "A military intelligence run operation". Zanu PF started their ballot rigging preparations for the 2013 election during the Presidential election runoff in 2008.  Dr Tsvangirai implored cadres to be patient and reassured us that the leadership in Harare are trying to find ways to effect a legal audit of the ballot. Preparations for the next election are already underway, he said.

On the UK and Ireland External Assembly, he regretted that Harvest House had downgraded the Province to a coordinating committee. He promised to discuss the issue with the rest of the leadership in Harare at the next Congress. He preached unity both in the diaspora and Zimbabwe for the party to succeed in the next election. When he questioned our [diaspora’s] commitment by asking what action we took on Election Day, the Southend-on-Sea branch was the only one that demonstrated at the Zimbabwe embassy. Stanford Biti informed the President that our Branch “shut down the embassy”.

Out of the 5 questions we raised as a branch, only 2 were responded to by the president due to time restrictions. We hope he will get back to us in due course with the rest of answers. Everybody pledged their support for the party and work ahead. Now we look toward preparing for the next election.

Abel Kamwendo

Committee Member

♪♫KNOCK KNOCK KNOCKING ON HEAVEN’S DOOR♫♪

The 9^th April 2012 headline on The Daily Mail screamed:  BREAKING NEWS: Robert Mugabe reportedly 'fighting for his life' in Singapore hospital due to undisclosed illness.  What was actually alarming about this article is the report attributed The Tehran Times claiming that Mugabe had entered into “a gentleman’s agreement” which would see Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa taking over the leadership of Zimbabwe.

Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, the current Minister of Defense was Minister of State Security from 1982 to 1988. This means he oversaw the Gukurahundi massacres in which over 20 000 Ndebeles were brutally murdered. Mnangagwa also showed his propensity for brutality in the run up to & after the 2008 elections in which people were beaten, tortured, raped, murdered, others disappeared and scores were left homeless. Mnangagwa was Mugabe’s campaign manager in the highly contentious 2008 election. Mnangagwa has made it a point to portray Mugabe as vital so pictures of him looking frail are brutally censored.  It seems highly illogical to entrust a fragile nation to someone whose given middle name means trouble or distress. If The Tehran Times report is to be believed then this causes one to question whether Mugabe was compos mentis when he made the decision?

It is reported that Mugabe’s medical condition is said to be “critical”.  His family has reportedly chartered a flight to Singapore to be at his side. If diplomatic cables leaked by Wikileaks are to be trusted then the 88year old has prostate cancer which has metastasized (spread to other organs). Mugabe’s health (or lack thereof) has been the subject of much speculation over the last 5years. There have even been religious leaders predicting the demise of an African head of state which has been taken to mean the Zimbabwean octogenarian. Many people expressed great disenchantment after the death of 78year old Bingu wa Mutharika of Malawi over Easter. Zimbabweans reacted with disappoinment & humour. One post on Facebook reads “I guess divine instructions were lost in translation, "And the Lord asked, if we take him who will lead the troubled nation in the transition?"  And the angel said "Joyce my Lord”.  And the Lord said "Take him then."  Moments later the Lord asked "Is he here yet? Bring him in he has a lot to answer to for the torment of my children." The Lord looks with utter surprise and disappointment and says "I said the 88 year old one not 78year old, and I meant Joyce Mujuru not Joyce Banda to take over. Ooops. (Act 2 scene II: enter Prophet Makandiwa)”

There is much worry that in the event of the death of Mugabe the two ZANU factions led by Vice President Joyce Mujuru and Mnangagwa would plunge Zimbabwe into civil war.  Mnangagwa’s hold on the army and State Security machinery is a great source of disquiet. At conception the Government of National Unity agreed that an election road map would be drawn up for free and fair elections after the bloody 2008 elections.  This has not been done as ZANU PF is holding the negotiations hostage by refusing to co-operate. Civic organisations have seen a sharp increase in politically motivated crimes. Opposition members are being assaulted and kidnapped. In the last three months reports coming out of Zimbabwe stated that the infamous torture camps were being revived in preparation for the rushed 2012 elections. These events do not bode well for the future of Zimbabwe.  Perhaps this would be a good time to send UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon a smoke signal requesting for peace keepers before genocide occurs?

Audrey Charowa

Vice Secretary

MDC South East District

ZIMBABWE: The Situation On The Ground

Hon. Thabitha  Khumalo With
Southend Zimbabwe Network (SZN)
Supporters

On the 30^th September 2011, I had the honour of attending a social event organised by the Southend Zimbabwe Network (SZN). The distinguished guest was the Honourable Thabitha Khumalo who is the Member of Parliament for Bulawayo East. Hon. Thabitha Khumalo, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) representative in the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (JOMIC) which was created January 2009 to oversee the implementation of the 27 articles of the Global Political Agreement. The meeting was attended by the Committee members of SZN namely Washington Ali, Derek Edwards, Wisdom Nhapa, Charles Dhliwayo, Mara Christie and Stanford Biti.

Hon. Thabitha Khumalo opened by saying “An injury to one is an injury to all. When we stop fighting for each other then that is when we lose our humanity.”  Her message was of unity for the Zimbabwean community.

GOVERNMENT

Hon. Thabitha Khumalo reported that the Global Political Agreement has 27 Articles which have not been implemented due to lack of political will.

The MDC want the following:

ELECTIONS

The MDC wants a clear roadmap to free and fair elections.

VOTERS ROLL

In a country where the life expectancy is 35 years there are over 41 000 voters on the voters roll who are over 100 years old. There are also voters as young a 1year old when the legal age of majority is 18 years. These clear discrepancies need to be addressed.

DIASPORA VOTE

People outside Zimbabwe need to have a say in what goes on in their country. There are issues with how this system would work. There is also concern that this system could be high-jacked by ZANU-PF’s vote rigging machinery. The diaspora needs to unite & decide how this should be done.

ELECTIONS

Election monitors must be allowed into the country. Hon. Thabitha Khumalo would like to see a situation where they come in 1month before the election and leave after 1 month of the election. That way they can see election violence first hand. They must stay in the respective areas instead of hotels in the city.

VIOLENCE

This must stop immediately. There is a group called Chipangano which works thus: Chipangano One gets into a community to find out if there are any opposition supporters. Then Chipangano Two is called in to locate the individuals who support the opposition. Chipangano Three then moves in to intimidate opposition supporters. After this the next group that moves in is Chipangano Four. This group perpetrates violence against anyone who does not support ZANU-PF or its policies. There were 124 recorded rapes against juveniles and children as young as 6years old in a period of 13days this September. Historically rape has been used as a weapon by ZANU-PF.

SOCIAL

In Mukuvisi Children are charging USD$1 (One Dollar) for sex with 2 men in order to get money for food. The health & mental implications are deeply worrying.

JUSTICE

When MDC supporters report crimes they are arrested by the police. YES the police arrest the victims! The MDC now asks its supporters who are crime victims to go to JOMIC. JOMIC then reports the crime together with the victim. The police say that they have been told to arrest opposition supporters. The police have claimed that the 124 children that were raped beginning of September were raped by “family members”. The MDC have asked an impartial non-governmental charity to investigate.

ECONOMY

The economy is still a mess. The Government has introduced a law which requires all businesses to have 51% black ownership for them to continue trading. This 51% stake will not be acquired at going market rates. In Bulawayo alone 127 companies have folded putting at least 2,000 people out of work. There a rumours that all non-black businesses will be invaded in the coming weeks. The treasury has not received any remittances from the sale of diamonds. The government spends 75% of all revenue on Civil servants salaries. This leaves 25% for health, services, reinvestment, education etc.

HEALTH

The Global Fund donated US$42mln for HIV/AIDS drugs. This money was misappropriated to farming by Gideon Gono. Currently there are 175,000 people receiving treatment for HIV/AIDS. There are 500,000 waiting for Anti-Retro Virals (ARVs).  Hon. Thabitha Khumalo is lobbying for all infected people to receive ARVs. The problem she is currently facing is of Drug Patents which push up the price of drugs. Hon. Thabitha Khumalo is also seeking for the decriminalisation of Prostitution. Prostitutes are drivers of HIV/AIDS. When one is infected they are required to bring in their partner. In the case of prostitutes they cannot bring their clients. Prostitutes need to be monitored and educated to avoid further infections. There is also an issue of unqualified midwives. Women who have given birth and can’t afford the hospital fees are held at the hospital until they pay.  Inoculation efforts are hampered by lack of fuel & transport.

DIASPORA

Hon. Thabitha Khumalo challenged the Diaspora to unite so they can be helped with their immigration issues. A question from Mr Biti about what could be done to help children of the Ndebele Gukurahundi Genocide who are undocumented because their murdered parents received no death certificates? Hon. Thabitha Khumalo broke down in tears as she explained that these children could only get educated to Grade 7 (or Year 6 in the UK) but can’t write exams. There after they would need a birth certificate. These “Children” are now in their thirties and now have children of their own, who are also undocumented and have limited education. Most would go to South Africa and get identification documents legally or otherwise. That is why there are many Zimbabweans in the diaspora with South African documents. Hon. Thabitha Khumalo reported that she had tabled a motion in Parliament. The United Kingdom Border Agency does not recognise the problem these people have. Mr Biti reported that his team are lobbying the UKBA for these people. Hon. Thabitha Khumalo offered her support. Zimbabweans in the UK are hard-working. However they are being de-skilled by being made to do menial jobs that have nothing to do with their qualifications.

Ms Audrey Charowa of the MDC noted that people had asked the Hon. Thabitha Khumalo to act on their behalf but they had not pledged to work for themselves. She pointed out services for petitions like http://www.thepetitionsite.com/ or http://www.care2.com/ These Services are free and because they can be done online there is a much bigger target audience.

In closing Hon. Thabitha Khumalo, challenged people that voted to hold their leaders accountable. She was extremely pleased with the reception she received from Southend on Sea.

Mara Christie the Southend Zimbabwe Network co-ordinator gave an impassioned vote of thanks on behalf of the Southend community that attended the meeting.

Audrey Charowa

Vice Secretary

MDC South East District Women's Assembly

MDC Southend Branch Hausunde

All Roads Leads to Southend 24 Sept, 12th Anniversary Celebrations

All is set for the MDC Southeast District Council meeting ,and 12th Anniversary celebrations to be hosted by Southend On Sea branch on 24 September 2011.Kindly be informed that we are finalising all preparations.We have finalised our guest list which will include people as far back from Zimbabwe and representatives of governments in waiting from all over the world. Member from various civic organisation and our local mebers of parliament have already been invited and positive responses are coming.

Our theme for free,fair and peaceful elections in Zimbabwe should go a long way and ensure a smooth transition of power from the Mugabe regime. Change is inevitable in Zimbabwe. All members of the MDC living in diaspora should ensure that the party is well equipped for victory and form the next democratic government in Zimbabwe. MDC Southend will join hands with all members and well wishers to ensure that victory is certain.All proceeds from the fund raising will be channeled to this worth cause.
Members of the fundraising committee are working flat out that revelers will have a memorable enjoyable day in the sea side  resort of Southend On Sea. The catering department is expected to feed over 200 guests. Seasoned DJ and our blog master Angelbert Munjanja assisted by Tawanda Chiwira will keep you on your toes with fine music. Patrick Nyamwanza our venue manager will ensure you drink to the top your neck in a safe environment. I will compliment all their efforts in the bar, where I am promising you world class service which you normally pay handsomely in the hospitality industry. Those who will need accommodation are advised to contact us as we have made plans for a weekend stay in Southend.


MDC 12th Anniversary Fundraising Celebrations 
24th September 2011 at 
St Helen's Catholic Church 
27 Milton Road
Westcliff On Sea
SS0 7JP
Southend On Sea Branch will spearhead the campaign for 'Free, Fair and Peaceful Elections' in Zimbabwe.
For more information and directions kindly contact: 
Charlie    07576210381
Garikayi   07766618441

See You All There!!

Sibabngani Machingauta

Southend MDC Hausunde

The Monologue of the Disillusioned – Zimbabwe

For revolutionary political parties, the very structure of their thought has been conditioned by the contradictions of the concrete, existential situation by which they were shaped. Their ideal was to be free, for them to be free was to oppress the masses. This phenomenon derives from the fact that the oppressed, at a certain moment of their existential experience, adopt an attitude of “adhesion” to the oppressor. ZANU-PF was conditioned by the psychopathic Ian Smith and MDC-T conditioned by ZANU-PF.

The apparatuses used to torture the poor black masses by Smith were the same apparatuses inherited by ZANU-PF and mercilessly unleashed on long suffering Zimbabweans. Think of Gukurahundi,

Murambatsvina, un-explained murders, torture, and lack of freedom ofspeech and above all, FEAR.

An astute eye will notice that MDC-T, again, not to be outdone, once in GNU, will retrogressively metamorphosis into ZANU-PF in disguise. The shadow of their former oppressor will be cast over them.

For all these years, most of us have adapted to the structure of

domination in which we are immersed, and have become resigned to

it, are inhibited from waging the struggle for freedom so long as we feel incapable of running the risks it requires. Robert Mugabe ran the risks; there he is – by default, life President of Zimbabwe. Morgan Tsvangira ran the risks, there he is, Prime Minister of Zimbabwe.

The oppressor … “discovering himself to be an oppressor may cause

considerable anguish, but it does not necessarily lead to solidarity with the oppressed. Rationalizing his guilt through paternalistic treatment of the oppressed, all the while holding them fast in a position of dependency.” We are not in solidarity with ZANU-PF. We may be nearing that level again with MDC-T.

The two political brokers in Zimbabwe, ZANU-PF/MDC-T will only be in solidarity with us when they “stop regarding us, the oppressed, as an abstract category and see us as persons who have been unjustly dealt with, deprived of our voices, cheated in the sale of our vote – when they stop making pious, sentimental and individualistic gestures and risks an act of love. True solidarity is found only in the plenitude of this act of love, in its existentiality, in its praxis. To affirm that we are persons

and as persons are free, and yet nothing tangible to make this

affirmation a reality, is a farce.”

If the poor masses are oppressed in their own country, they can not achieve their total freedom because “one of the gravest obstacles to the achievement of liberation is that oppressive reality absorbs those within it and thereby acts to submerge human beings’ consciousness. Functionally, oppression is domesticating.” To no longer be prey to its force, the oppressed must emerge from it and turn upon it.

“It is men that change circumstances and that the educator himself needs educating”. Well, if the emperor and his cronies have got no clothes, someone has to tell them.

“No pedagogy which is truly liberating can remain distant from the oppressed by treating them as unfortunates…..” We, the long suffering masses, must be our own example in the struggle for our own redemption.

“Any situation in which “A” objectively exploits “B” or hinders his and her pursuits of self- affirmation as a responsible person is one of oppression. Such a situation in itself constitutes violence, even when sweetened by false generosity, because it interferes with the individual’s ontological and historical vocation to be more fully human”. If votes are stolen, the masses are exploited and denied their pursuits of self-affirmation as a responsible people.

We are the long suffering masses of Zimbabwe and peace loving

subjects of oppression. We condemn any forms of violence. Since

when has been the oppressed the instigator of violence? “Never in

history has violence been initiated by the oppressed. How can we be the initiators, if we are the result of violence? How can we be sponsors of something whose objective inauguration called forth our existence as oppressed?”

“Violence is initiated by those who oppress, who exploit, and who fail to recognize others as persons – not by those who are oppressed, exploited, and unrecognized. It is not the unloved who initiate disaffection, but those who can not love because they love only themselves. It is not the helpless, subject to terror, who initiate terror, but the violent, who with their power create the concrete situation which begets the “the rejects of life”. It is not the tyrannized who initiate despotism, but the tyrants. It is not the despised who initiate hatred, but those who despise. It is not those whose humanity is denied them who negate humankind, but those who denied that humanity (thus negating their own as well). Force is used not by those who have become weak under the preponderance of the strong, but by the strong who have emasculated them.”

For the oppressor, or (to be precise) for ZANU-PF, “it is always the oppressed (whom obviously they never call “the oppressed” but – depending on whether they are fellow party members, cronies and

beneficiaries – “those people” or “the blind and envious masses” “or “subversives” ) who are disaffected, who are “violent,” or “ferocious” when they react to the violence of the oppressors. Rhetorically, they will issue statements like; “MDC-T is the puppet of the colonialist” or “stooges or dogs of imperialists” (zvimbwa sungata).

“Yet it is – paradoxical though it may seem – precisely in the responds of the oppressed to the violence of their oppressors that a gesture of love may be found”. Women in Harare (WOZA) once demonstrated carrying roses. ZANU-PF responded by beating them and incarcerating some in prisons for months without trial.

“Consciously or unconsciously, the act of rebellion by the oppressed(an act which is always, or nearly always, as violent as the initial violence of the oppressor) can initiate love”.

“Whereas the violence of the oppressor prevents the oppressed from being fully human, the response of the latter to this violence is grounded in the desire to pursue the right to be human” As ZANU-PF dehumanizes the poor masses and violates their rights, they themselves become dehumanized; hence the dearth of universal acclaim of President Mugabe as the statesman of Africa.

However, as the oppressed, fighting to be human, take away the

oppressors’’ power to dominate and suppress, they restore to the

oppressor the humanity they had lost in the exercise of oppression. A resemblance of normalcy was restored in Zimbabwe by the coalition between ZANU-PF (oppressor) and MDC-T (oppressed). Blood shed was avoided. The persistent torture of the poor huddled masses was deferred to another day (pending the next general election).

“It is only the oppressed who, by freeing themselves, can free their oppressor. The latter, as an oppressive class, can free neither others nor themselves. It is therefore essential that the oppressed wage the struggle to resolve the contradiction in which they are caught; and the contradiction will be resolved by the appearance of the new man: neither oppressor nor oppressed, but man in the process of liberation.

If the goal of the oppressed is to become fully human, they will not achieve their goal by merely reversing the terms of the contradiction, by simply changing poles”. This is where we fear for MDC-T. They could be been sucked into the honey-comb by ZANU-PF - and how sweet it is!

This is the moment the ZANU-PF/MDC-T regime would “harden into a

dominating bureaucracy. The humanist dimension of the struggle

(against ZANU-PF) would be lost and will be no longer possible to

speak of liberation.”

We are waking up to a situation we would not like. “Hence our

insistence that the authentic solution of the oppressor-oppressed

contradiction does not lie in a mere reversal of position, in moving from one pole to the other. Nor does it lie in the replacement of the former oppressor with new ones who continue to subjugate the oppressed” – all in the name of Government of National Unity”

Unfortunately, to ZANU-PF, the new order – GNU does not go well with them. This restricts their former modus-operandi - domination. “Any restriction on this former way of life (one party state), in the name of a GNU, appears to the former oppressors as a profound violation of their individual right – although they had no respect for the millions who suffered and died of hunger, pain, sorrow, and despair.”

With Mugabe at the helm of power, ZANU-PF will never accept the

installation of a new regime. This is echoed by the military in

Zimbabwe. “This is explained by their experience as a dominant class. This experience creates in the oppressor a strongly possessive consciousness – possessive of the world and of men and women” “This is my Zimbabwe…!” Apart from direct, concrete, material possession of the world and of people, the oppressor consciousness could not understand itself – could not even exist.”

“The oppressor consciousness tends to transform everything

surrounding it into an object of its domination. The earths, property, production, the creations of people, people themselves, time- everything is reduced to the status of objects at its disposal.”

For the oppressor, money is the measure of all things, and profits the primary goal. What is worthwhile is to have more-always more- even at the cost of the oppressed having less or having nothing.

“The oppressors do not perceive their monopoly on having more as a privilege which dehumanizes others and themselves. They can not see that, in the egoistic pursuit of having as a possessing class, they suffocate in their own possessions and no longer are; they merely have. For them, having more is an alienable right, a right they acquired through their own effort, with their courage to take risks”. You hear them threatening “I am a war veteran; I am an ex- combatant; I fought in the liberation struggle; we have got degrees in violence!”

“If others do not have more, it is because they are incompetent and lazy, and worst of all is their unjustifiable ingratitude towards the “generous gestures” of the dominant class. Precisely because they are “ungrateful” and “envious”, the oppressed are regarded as potential enemies who must be watched”. In some instances, some poor and long suffering masses have been brutalised by the sheer power of ZANU-PF to such an extent that they shiver at mere mention of CIO and The Green Bombers.

The more the oppressor controls the oppressed, the more they change them into apparently inanimate “things”. “This tendency of the oppressor consciousness to “in-animate” everything and everyone it encounters, in its eagerness to posses, unquestionably corresponds with a tendency to sadism.”

The majority of ZANU-PF long suffering and exploited supporters are poor rural peasants. “The oppressed (especially the peasants) see their suffering, the fruit of exploitation, as the will of God – as if God were the creator of this organized disorder.” I have spoken to many peasants in last three years. They are resigned to their fate, and they often say “Ah, tingaite sei? Kuda kwaMwari (What can we do? It’s God’s will).”

“Submerged in reality, the oppressed cannot perceive clearly the

“order” which serves the interests of the oppressors whose image they have internalized. Chafing under the restrictions of this order, they often manifest a type of horizontal violence, striking out at their own comrades for the pettiest reasons.” The last general election saw this happening in Zimbabwe, for instance, in Uzumba –Maramba Pfungwe, violence erupted amongst MDC-T and ZANU-PF supporters. Legs were broken, huts burnt, cattle harm-strung and hundreds displaced from their homes.

“It is possible that in this behavior they are once more manifesting their duality. Because the oppressor exists within their oppressed comrades, when they attack those comrades they are indirectly attacking the oppressor as well.” In the same vain, the oppressed want at any cost to resemble the oppressors, to imitate them, to follow them. This is all done in the name of the party – ZANU-PF - Jongwe.

“Self-depreciation is another characteristic of the oppressed, which derives from their internalization of the oppressor’s hold of them. They often say, “ZANU-PF knows best, we don’t know anything about politics” Yet, they can still grab an axe and smash any other peasant who supports any political party, other than their own.

Despite their quest for free and fair elections, the oppressed (some of us, for the entire duration of our written or known history) had not been allowed to exercise our universal suffrage without enduring pain, grief, loss and sorrow. People should always be free to agree to disagree.

In Zimbabwe, we are approaching the cross-roads. President Mugabe, who is the glue holding together ZANU-PF, is getting old and it is inevitable that one day, he is going to exit the political arena through death or retirement. ZANU-PF would be left vulnerable. It would be uniquely susceptible in an election. Tribalism, power vacuum and factionalism will tear it apart. “The problem with political systems that are deeply divided on ethnic lines is that conspiracies are easy to conjure up and politicians and ordinary people alike refuse to engage their minds in serious debate, opting to spend endless hours discussing phantoms”

ZANU-PF will be left with a substantially reduced capacity to repress the MDC and the other smaller opposition parties and rig an election.

The history of nations is informed by the actions of each generation. One generation expects to inherit a legacy from another generation. With the exit of the old van-guard, Zimbabwe should embrace multi-party politics. Adhere to the rule of law, respect of the judiciary system and the constitution. The army should be non-partisan. The dreaded CIO should be an instrument used to protect the citizens of Zimbabwe, not to haunt and torture them. The principles and values of the armed struggle included democracy, freedom, liberty, equality, universal suffrage, justice and prosperity. Have we archived these aspirations?

Desmond Tutu once said “We want our society to be characterized by vigorous debate and dissent where to disagree is part and parcel of a vibrant community; that we should play the ball not the person and not think that those who disagree, who express dissent, are disloyal or unpatriotic”. On the contrary, “ZANU-PF rules this country and anyone who disputes that is a dissident and should be dealt with.” Enos Nkala (1980)

“We need to work as a nation state for the common good even if we

disagree about how to achieve this. We may disagree about the

means, but not about the end.” Zimbabwe is yours as much as it is

mine. If we submit out of fear to the notion that the leaders own the country, then we are not citizens but slaves in our own country.

We must keep pushing for peace, liberty, equality and fraternity in our beloved Zimbabwe. To stop now would be tantamount to stripping the honour from those before who gallantly and selflessly fought for our independence – the likes of Ambuya Nehanda, Sekuru Chaminuka, Sekuru Kaguvi, Herbert Chitepo, Rekayi Tangwena, Josiah Magama Tongogara, Cde Joshua Nkomo, the General Solomon Mujuru and many more.

Cause is greater than personality!!!

Tendayi Hamadziripi Kwari

MDC Bristol

MDC 12th Anniversary Celebrations 24/09/2011

You are all invited to attend the MDC 12th Anniversary Fundraising Celebrations on 24th September 2011 at 

St Helen's Catholic Church 

27 Milton Road

Westcliff On Sea

SS0 7JP

Southend On Sea Branch will spearhead the campaign for 'Free, Fair and Peaceful Elections' in Zimbabwe.

For more information and directions kindly contact: 

Charlie    07576210381

Garikayi   07766618441

Stanford Biti

Chairman 

Southend On Sea

Zimbabweans Unite in Protest against Resumption of Deportations to Zimbabwe

On a beautiful summer day they came from different parts of the country to stand in solidarity with their brothers and sisters. From as far flung as Scotland they came. By air, by road, by train and on foot they made it to the beautiful and peaceful beach town of Southend-on-sea! That was the passion and zeal of the protesters against the United Kingdom Border Agency’s (UKBA) decision to resume deportations to Zimbabwe.

This demonstration was inspired by the incarceration of Josephine Chari who as I write is in detention at Yarlswood Detention Centre in Bedfordshire. She was taken in while complying with reporting conditions set by the Border Agency at the reporting centre in Southend-on-sea. The soft spoken, law abiding and humble Josephine is a known MDC supporter and like all other refugees whose cases have been thrown out by UKBA, face persecution, torture and abuse if returned to Zimababwe.

The protest at the Southend-on-sea Civic Centre started promptly at 2pm on 28 July 2011 initially, with an assemblage of about over fifty MDC party cadres. All protestors were welcomed by the Branch Chair, Mr Stanford Biti whose brother and Finance Minister Tendai Biti escaped a bomb blast in June. By 3pm the party had swelled to almost 200 strong crowd. They came with placards that left the immediate community without a doubt why they were gathered, to protest against the return of “failed” refugees back to the hands of the tyranny, Robert Gabriel Mugabe. Many residents of Southend-on-sea were appalled at the gruesome pictures of civilians including children that were victims of torture and abuse of Robert Mugabe’s government. In support of the protest, they signed a petition addressed to the Prime Minister against the deportations which will be presented to the relevant minister at a later date.

As with all protests, police officers uniformed and plain clothes were deployed to make sure that public order was maintained and seemed to enjoy the songs and dance that marked the protest. It was refreshing to see the police being friendly to protestors and letting people use their freedom of assembly in peace, in the end there was mutual respect.

The local media covered the protest.

The South East District Executive was well represented as was the Women’s assembly and Youth Assembly. Of note were the District Chair - Mr Khama Matambanadzo, Vice Chair – Mr Washington Ali, Vice Secretary – Tendai Mhondiwa,  Vincent Mashakada, District Treasurer, Women’s Assembly Vice Chair Gladys H Meck, Secretary Mauleen Machiri, Organising Secretary –  Hlengwa Mahlangu and Audrey Charowa – Vice Secretary, District Youth Acting Chair, Mandla Ncube..  

The District Chair, Khama Matambanadzo echoed the words of the Branch Chair, Mr Stanford Biti and pointed out that Josephine’s arrest amounted to an arrest of all Zimbabweans, he challenged the new Zimbabwe country guidance case dismissing it as a joke and called upon the coalition government to urgently review their position in light of the numerous cases of harassment, victimisation, false arrests and torture of innocent and peace loving Zimbabweans whose only crime is supporting the MDC. He pointed out that should the coalition government pursue the deportations and our colleagues returned to Zimbabwe end up victims of Mugabe’s suppressive mechanism, we shall hold this government culpable. He urged all Zimbabweans to remain united and speak against the resumption of the deportations with one voice, “Zimbabwe is another Libya South of the Equator”.

The occasion was also graced by none other the Provincial Women Assembly Vice Chair, who thanked all who had gathered in support of this worthy cause and reminded all of the important role of a mother at all times, happiness or turbulent quoting a Bible verse in Luke. David Kadzutu the South West District Organising Secretary was present, he informed the protestors that what the British government forgets is that it is not by accident that Zimbabweans head this way for political asylum, Cecil John Rhodes headed for then Rhodesia now Zimbabwe and was granted asylum on health compassionate grounds in 1890 when his health had deteriorated due to the British weather, thus the relationship dates back to the days of Lobengula, hence Cecil John Rhodes today lies on Zimbabwean soil in Matopo Hills.

We at Southend were deeply humbled by the show of support exhibited by almost all South East Branches and most of all Oxford Branch. 

Thank you all!

Audrey Charowa

Vice Secretary

MDC South East District