via Geriatric Genocidaire – Zimbabwe Vigil Diary: 4th July 2015 – The Zimbabwean 6 July 2015
The Vigil has launched a petition calling for the arraignment of Mugabe before the International Criminal Court. We know he will be protected by his Security Council friends in Beijing and Moscow but we wish to focus attention on the evidence for the prosecution because Africa continues to honour this geriatric genocidaire.
Here is the new petition: ‘Zimbabweans driven into exile by genocidal tyrant Robert Mugabe, and our friends visiting the Zimbabwe Vigil, call forMugabe’s arraignment before the International Criminal Court in the Hague to answer for his crimes. Despite Mugabe’s responsibility for the Gukuruhundi massacre of some 20,000 Ndebele people in the 1980s (he acknowledged ‘a moment of madness’), his destruction of the homes and livelihoods of a million urban opposition supporters in the bulldozing Murambatsvina of 2005 and his Zanu PF’s rigging of all elections, Mugabe has been chosen as Chairman of the AfricanUnion. He used this position to enable President al Bashir of Sudan to flee an AU Summit meeting in South Africa in June after a court there ordered his arrest to answer an indictment by the International Criminal Court for genocide in the Darfur region.’
The evidence against Mugabe over Gukuruhundi and Murambatsvina is indisputable, as is his responsibility for the violent farm invasions and the consequent loss of hundreds of thousands of rural jobs and the destruction of the economy.
As we reported earlier, the Zimbabwean economist and opposition MP Eddie Cross recently looked at the population statistics and concluded that, even allowing for mass emigration, the population is some 10 million people short of what would have been expected by the historic growth trend. They are the fruits of misgovernance: starvation, disease and poverty. Is this not genocide? (See: http://www.zimvigil.co.uk/the-vigil-diary/694-big-issues-zimbabwe-vigil-diary-13th-june-2015).
Former Finance Minister Tendai Biti has no doubt about where to lay the blame. He says: ‘If left to continue, the current situation will lead to cannibalism where human beings will resort to eatinghuman flesh. Most of the deaths being witnessed in the country are either due to starvation or stress related ailments like high blood pressure, hypertension and heart attack, because of the economic, political and social decay we are witnessing’ (see: http://www.newzimbabwe.com/news-23520-Stressed+Zim+on+verge+of+cannibalism,+Biti/news.aspx).
Other Points
• The petition was approved at a meeting after the Vigil of the Zimbabwe Action Forum (ZAF), which also discussed arrangements for our demonstration next Saturday to mark 4 months since Itai Dzamara’s abduction by the CIO. We are pleased that, since we set the date for the demonstration, other organisations in Zimbabwe and abroad have decided also to mark the occasion next Saturday. We will be joined by Tendai Kwari of UK branch of Occupy Africa Unity Square. We plan to deliver a letter to the Embassy demanding an explanation of what has happened to our friend Itai. We asked our supporters to bring their own posters.
• With the general election behind us, the ZAF meeting discussed reviving the ROHR campaign of contacting MPs in connection with having a parliamentary debate on Zimbabwe. We are asking everyone to write to their MP about this. Check our campaigns page for how to find your MP and sample letters: http://www.zimvigil.co.uk/vigil-news/campaign-news/659-letters-to-mps-re-parliamentary-debate.
• The meeting was irritated by Grace Mugabe’s ill-informed comments about diasporans (see: Grace taunts Diasporans: you will be deported – http://www.newsdzezimbabwe.co.uk/2015/07/grace-taunts-diasporans-you-will-be.html). As the vice-presidents will confirm, if she’ a doctor of anything it is of witchcraft.
• Thanks to those who came early to help set up: Vuyana Mthimkhulu, Mncedisi Ndhlovu, Chrispen Ndlovu, Edson Mutero, Morella Nhau, Eva Sanyahokwe and Fungayi Mabhunu. Thanks also to Helen Rukambiro and Bridget Mupotsa for looking after the front table.
For latest Vigil pictures check: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/. Please note: Vigil photos can only be downloaded from our Flickr website.
FOR THE RECORD: 51 signed the register.
EVENTS AND NOTICES:
• Vigil’s Itai Dzamara Protest. Saturday 11th July from 2 – 6 pm outside the Zimbabwe Embassy in London. The protest is to mark 4 months since Dzamara’s abduction by the CIO.
• ROHR Slough Branch general meeting. Saturday 11th July from 11 am – 1 pm. Venue: Upton Lea Community Hall, Wexham Road, Slough SL2 5JW. For further information contact Patricia Masamba (Chair) 07708116625, Fungisai Mupandira (Organising Secretary) 07758958803.
• 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.
• Next Swaziland Vigil. Saturday 11th July from 10 am to 1 pm outside the Swaziland High Commission, 20 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6LB.
• Zimbabwe Yes We Can meeting. Saturday 25th July at 12 noon. Venue: The Theodore Bullfrog, 26-30 John Adam Street, London WC2N 6HL.
• Zimbabwe Yes We Can Movement holds monthly meetings in London as the political face of ROHR and the Vigil.
• Zimbabwe Action Forum (ZAF). Date of next meeting (dependent on availability of venue) to be advised. ZAF meets regularly after the Vigil to discuss ways to help those back in Zimbabwe to fight oppression and achieve true democracy.
• Zimbabwe Vigil Highlights 2014 can be viewed on this link: http://www.zimvigil.co.uk/vigil-news/campaign-news/642-zimbabwe-vigil-highlights-2014. Links to previous years’ highlights are listed on 2014 Highlights page.
• Facebook pages:
Vigil: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8157345519&ref=ts
ZAF: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Zimbabwe-Action-Forum-ZAF/490257051027515
ROHR: https://www.facebook.co/pages/ROHR-Zimbabwe-Restoration-of-Human-Rights/301811392835
• SW Radio Africa’s website and sound archive is being hosted on www.archive.org. Go to the site and type in swradioafrica which will link you to snapshots of their site over the years and at the top of that page a link to their website where, under podcasts, you will find the audio.
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