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Zimbabwe Situation

Mugabe’s Square Egg – Zimbabwe Vigil

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A delegation took time out from the Vigil to go across London to the Botswana High Commission to deliver a letter of thanks to President Ian Khama for denouncing SADC’s endorsement of Zimbabwe’s rigged elections. The delegation carried posters reading: ‘Zimbabwe Vigil salutes Botswana’ and ‘Thank You President Khama’.

The letter reads: ‘Exiled Zimbabweans at the Zimbabwe Vigil in London were heartened to read that Botswana will refuse to participate in future SADC observer missions because of SADC’s acceptance of vote rigging in Zimbabwe’s elections last July. 

We agreed with your comment on Botswana national television that the elections were neither free nor fair and that SADC has breached its own election guidelines by letting Zimbabwe ‘off the hook’. Like you we fear that this makes it difficult to expect other SADC countries to abide by the election guidelines. 

We note that Botswana has called for an audit of the election results but we fear this is impossible as Zimbabwe’s Supreme Court has just upheld a lower court ruling that there was no urgency in hearing the MDC appeal asking the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to release the voters’ roll. 

The voters’ roll is the smoking gun to the election rigging by Mugabe. It was expected to be released at least one month before the elections but now, six months after the elections, its release is apparently not urgent! Mugabe has clearly decided to sit on it: he is a chicken who has laid a square egg. 

We hope that Botswana will support the Vigil’s demand that new elections be held in Zimbabwe that will meet the SADC election guidelines. 

All freedom loving people of SADC salute you sir. You are a beacon of hope at a time when our region and continent need someone they can look up to.’ 

The Vigil is sending a copy of this letter to the current chair of SADC, President Joyce Banda of Malawi. We are taking the opportunity of drawing SADC’s attention to the 2014 report of Human Rights Watch. The report says SADC and the AU have ‘weakened international efforts to ensure restoration of the rule of law and respect for human rights’ in Zimbabwe by endorsing the July elections (see: http://www.theindependent.co.zw/2014/01/24/sadc-au-slammed-zim-polls/ – SADC, AU slammed over polls).

But in truth the Vigil does not expect much from President Banda who has enlisted the help of the discredited Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to secure her re-election in May . . .

Other points

 

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: 41 signed the register.

 

EVENTS AND NOTICES:

–        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.com/pages/ROHR-Zimbabwe-Restoration-of-Human-Rights/301811392835

 

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:/hgh/www.zimvigil.co.uk.

Photolinks

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/12259245953/sizes/n/in/set-72157640400852105/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/12259525324/sizes/n/in/set-72157640400852105/

 

 

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