Our fellow human
rights campaigners, the Zimbabwe We Can Movement, have asked us to circulate the
following Press Release
Zimbabwe Vigil
Co-ordinators
The Vigil, outside
the Zimbabwe Embassy, 429 Strand, London, takes place every Saturday from 14.00
to 18.00 to protest against gross violations of human rights in Zimbabwe. The
Vigil which started in October 2002 will continue until
internationally-monitored, free and fair elections are held in Zimbabwe. http://www.zimvigil.co.uk
Press Release from the Zimbabwe (Yes) We Can Movement following the Executive Meeting of 3rd March
The National Executive Committee (NEC) of The Zimbabwe (Yes) We Can movement (ZWC) met in London Saturday 3 March 2012. The objectives of the meeting were to take stock of events since the founding of the movement, and to map the way forward.
The movement has come across many challenges since May 2011. Although these challenges were major, the movement was too strong to succumb to threats. Unfortunately the period saw some of the founding members fall by the wayside due to the rigours and demands of the work at hand. This did not deter the people’s determination to see a totally free Zimbabwe.
The NEC discussed the recent attacks on the person of the President of ZWC, Mr Ephraim Tapa, spearheaded by five former ZWC members, Messers Onias Moyo, Givemore Chindawi, Isaiah Bizani, Peter Moyo and Bezel Khanye. The five, accompanied by one Zim-eye reporter and a ROHR rebel Paradzai Mapfumo, attended a meeting in Surbiton on 11 February 2012, unconstitutionally called by the then vice president, Onias Moyo, who falsely assumed the role of Acting President, deliberately usurping the incumbent ZWC President Ephraim Tapa’s role.
The Secretary General in an email (appended below) to members highlighted the unconstitutionality of the proposed meeting, and gave 3 March 2012 as the tentative date for a follow-up meeting. Despite that comprehensive advice, the five went on, without a quorum, to hold the meeting together with the Zim-eye reporter via video / audio link. A copy of that recording is available. At the unsanctioned meeting they resolved to fire Ephraim Tapa from the position of president, and from the movement altogether.
Following
these unpleasant developments, the NEC meeting of 3 March came up with seven
main resolutions:
1.
To
expel the above named five members from the movement.
2.
A
reiteration that the Zimbabwe (Yes) We Can project is not a political party, but
a grouping of like minded activists wishing to see a free
Zimbabwe.
3.
Need to
realize that Zimbabwe (Yes) We Can does not exist in a vacuum. As such it is
prepared to work with like minded organizations that share similar values. The
movement currently works with The Zimbabwe Vigil and ROHR on The Zimbabwe Action
Forum project, which is progressing well and quickly gaining
prominence.
4.
To
uphold and pass a motion proposed by the remnants of the original NEC, that they
were stepping down in its entirety in order to accommodate the new members with
a view of re-starting from the same chapter.
5.
To
usher in a new NEC as of 3 March 2012. The ‘new’ members showed an appreciation
of the work done so far by the outgoing executive members. As a way forward they
proposed and seconded that the original executive members be brought back into
their previous positions and if that was acceptable to them, then resume duties
as before. It was also decided to gap fill the positions vacated by those who
had fallen by the way side way before.
6.
To
disregard and show utmost disappointment towards the unwarranted attacks on Mr
Ephraim Tapa, and to affirm their total support and loyalty to his leadership of
the movement, and as such, to urge the public at large to dismiss with contempt
any derogatory and politically defaming statements on Mr Tapa. This is the
official position of the movement as of Saturday 3 March
2012.
7.
Give a
mandate to the new NEC which was elected as follows:
President: Mr Ephraim Tapa
Vice President: Mr Nicholas Ncube
Chairman: Mr Frank Mamvura
Vice Chairperson: Ms Miriam Mukutuma
Secretary General: Mr Everisto Kamera
Treasurer General: Mr Arnold Mgwanyata
Vice Treasurer: Mr John Dingwiza
Women’s Chairperson: Mrs Priscilla Mugwagwa
Youth Chairperson: Mr Lawrence Muchochoma
Organizing Secretary: Mr David Kadzutu
Vice Org Secretary: Mr Peter Sidindi
Information & Publicity Secretary: Mr Tendai Sayi
International Relations Secretary & Coordinator: Mr Archibald Gumiro
Legal Secretary: Mr Henry Maposa
Labour Secretary: Mr Peter Chareka
The membership of ZWC is drawn from Zimbabweans from all walks of life from all over the world, including progressive political parties. It is a global movement of like-minded people and activists driven by the recognition and desire to see:
· The Zimbabwean identity taking the primary and central role among the Zimbabwean people and then everything else: political parties, tribes, races, etc, coming second.
· Zimbabweans realizing that only themselves, not the SADC, political parties or any outsider, can save them from the political morass that has engulfed the nation.
· Zimbabweans taking a leading role in re-building their communities that have been savaged and ravaged by politicians to their advantage.
· The current situation in the country being exposed to the international world so that there is a realization that things on the ground are not as they seem.
· The restoration of democracy and human rights.
· The bringing to justice, without fear or favour, of those responsible for atrocities, human rights violation and the plundering the country’s resources while ordinary Zimbabweans are wallowing in poverty, unemployment, disease and just struggling to keep body and soul together.
The new executive was given a fresh mandate to see all the programmes through and to immediately resume work. These are men and women of virtue who have shown commitment to patriotism and unity of purpose. Some of the programmes in the pipeline include: preparing a dossier to take Robert Mugabe and his cronies to the ICC for atrocities and gross human rights violations; conscientisation programmes aimed at all Zimbabweans in the country and the Diaspora; and putting together recognizable structures and a diplomatic offensive to lobby the international community not to forget the Zimbabwean people.
The NEC will remain vigilant and focused to counter all detractors and those seeking to derail this juggernaut. The people have spoken and no person shall stand in the way to see the Zimbabwe (Yes) We Can project collapse or derail. No works and words of hate and malice shall stand in the way of this revolution until justice and real freedom is achieved in our motherland, Zimbabwe.
Please note that the Zimbabwe We Can Website was set up by one of the renegade former ZWC members who has retained control and helped the expelled group to hijack it. Any statement from this website does not represent the views or position of Zimbabwe We Can. A new official Zimbabwe We Can website will be up and running soon and we will give you details of this as soon as they are available.
For any comments or suggestions, contact:
Information & Publicity Secretary, Tendai Sayi: 07403289116
Secretary General: Everisto Kamera: 07833338942
Appendix: Email
From:
Everisto Kamera
Sent:
Tue, 7 Feb 2012 13:40
Subject:
Meeting
Dear
colleagues,
I
am writing in regards to the meeting that has been called by Mr Moyo for this
Saturday 11 February 2012. I
would like to quickly point out the following:
To
begin with, the so-called notice of this meeting was not circulated to all NEC
members. Please note that it is a universal golden rule that all members to a
committee must be invited to attend if such a meeting is to be properly
constituted.
Secondly,
I notice instead, that the purported notice was sent out to one, Paradzai
Mapfumo. As to why and how, I stand guided. The ZWC does not know who this
person is and therefore it is out of order and mischievous to invite a stranger
to attend NEC meetings without due process.
Thirdly,
going by our practice, tradition and constitution, all NEC meetings are called
by the President through the Secretary General. This notice incorrectly
originates from the Vice President’s office and therefore cannot hold force. One
wonders what the Vice President seeks to achieve by blatantly ignoring
established practice and rules.
Fourthly,
venues for all our meetings are organised through the Organising Secretary. We
are not aware as to why this has not been the case this time around.
Further,
I am surprised that Mr Moyo signed off the so-called notice as ‘the acting
president’. I am not privy to any minutes or meeting that appointed him ‘Acting
President’ as the President is still in charge of ZWC. Lest I be mistaken, I
request Mr Moyo to URGENTLY furnish every NEC member with minutes of the meeting
at which he was appointed/elected ‘acting president’ and that Paradzai Mapfumo
has joined the movement and is now in the NEC.
Let
me warn that any meeting called without observance of agreed (group) protocols
shall be a non-event, a nullity. Any such behaviour on the part of any member of
the organisation shall constitute an act of gross misconduct and shall therefore
be liable to disciplinary measures.
Know
ye therefore, ladies and gentlemen, that the meeting called by Mr Moyo is null
and void; it is a non-event in light of the aforesaid reasons. In short, the 11
February 2012 meeting is not properly constituted by all intents and
purposes.
All
– Please be advised that following the adjournment of the Watford meeting, the
official meeting is now tentatively set to resume on 3 March 2012. Venue
details and any additional information will be incorporated in the final
confirmation to be issued by the Secretary General's office in due
course. The
Organising department is thus expected to provide the venue details without
delay.
Anyone
with any concerns please feel free to contact me.
Yes
we can!
Everisto
Kamera,
Secretary
General
