The Zimbabwe Vigil

Outside the Zimbabwe Embassy, 429 Strand, London Every Saturday from 14.00 - 18.00 since October 2002

Zimbabwe Vigil Mission Satement: The Vigil, outside the Zimbabwe Embassy, London, will take place every Saturday from 14.00 to 18.00 to protest against gross violations of human rights by the current regime in Zimbabwe. The Vigil will continue until internationally-monitored, free and fair elections are held in Zimbabwe.

WAKE UP WORLD! ZIMBABWE IS DYING!
The Zimbabwe Vigil started on 12th October 2002 to draw public attention to human rights abuses in Zimbabwe. Since then it has met every week. The Observer newspaper describes it as the largest regular demonstration in London. It is not party political and welcomes supporters who agree with its mission statement: “The Vigil, outside the Zimbabwe Embassy, London, will take place every Saturday from 14.00 to 18.00 to protest against gross violations of human rights by the current regime in Zimbabwe. The Vigil will continue until internationally-monitored, free and fair elections are held in Zimbabwe.” The Vigil has run various petitions – notably one to the UN calling on the Security Council to investigate gross violations of human rights in Zimbabwe signed by some 100,000 passers-by. It has also lobbied Parliament and staged many demonstrations – including at the Africa / Europe Summit in Lisbon last December.

WAKE UP WORLD! ZIMBABWE IS DYING!
The Zimbabwe Vigil calls on the United Nations and the African Union to halt the violence in Zimbabwe. In the past decade a quarter of the population has fled the country. You see some of them here. At least half of those remaining face starvation. Any dissent is stamped on and all elections are rigged. Zimbabwe leads the world: highest inflation rate, lowest life expectancy, most orphans per capita, fastest shrinking economy. The Vigil urges President Mbeki of South Africa to end his support of the Mugabe regime.
Email: zimbabwevigil@yahoo.co.uk; co-ordinator@zimvigil.co.uk
Website: www.zimvigil.co.uk
Post: Zimbabwe Vigil, PO Box 49834, London NW5 1UY
Vigil: Saturdays (14.00 – 18.00), Zimbabwe Embassy, Strand, London
For archive diary Click here

ROHR activists were at the Vigil in force to express their abhorrence of the violence being inflicted on opposition supporters. Stendrick briefed the Vigil on ROHR’s plans for actions on the ground in Zimbabwe. Ephraim Tapa, a founding member of the Vigil and also the founder of ROHR, is currently in Johannesburg at the invitation of South African activists who want to join up with the ROHR project.

To support our demonstration we displayed graphic images of the injuries inflicted by Mugabe’s terrorists. They stopped passers-by in their tracks and people lingered to study cartoons about Mugabe’s lunatic world.

The Vigil was galvanized by the singing of Ancilla Chifamba, now of the Glasgow Vigil. She had to relocate to Scotland and has helped launch a very successful Vigil in Glasgow. She came down with fellow Glasgow Vigil co-ordinator Patrick Dzimba and attended a Vigil team meeting to talk about the way forward.

For latest Vigil pictures, see the link in the updates column.

FOR THE RECORD: 160 signed the register.

FOR YOUR DIARY: Saturday, 10th May 2008, 2 – 6 pm. Next Glasgow Vigil. Venue: Argyle Street Precinct. For more information, contact: Ancilla Chifamba, 07770 291 150 and Patrick Dzimba, 07990 724 137.
For archive diary Click here

Protest against Mugabe’s post-election reign of terror

Zimbabwean exiles and supporters are to stage a demonstration outside the Zimbabwe Embassy in London on Saturday, 3rd May, in protest at government instigated violence against supporters of the political opposition. The Africa Director of Human Rights Watch, Georgette Gagnon, said this week: ‘The army and its allies – ‘war-veterans’ and supporters of the ruling party ZANU-PF – are intensifying their brutal grip on wide swathes of rural Zimbabwe to ensure that a possible second round of presidential elections goes their way.’

The demonstration has been called by Restoration of Human Rights in Zimbabwe (ROHRZim) in co-operation with its partner the Zimbabwe Vigil. The leader of ROHR, Stendrick Zvorwadza, who is visiting London, will speak about the situation. His deputy in Zimbabwe, Tichanzii Gandanga, was abducted on 22nd April and found in the bush 80 miles east of Harare two days later very badly injured. Apparently he was forced to lie down on the road and then his abductors drove over his legs four times. He is now receiving medical attention in secret in Harare, where the authorities are trying to track him down.

During the demonstration the following petition will be available for signature:
Petition to President Mbeki of South Africa
Exiled Zimbabweans and supporters urge you to stop supporting Mugabe and allow a peaceful transfer of power from the military regime to the Zimbabwean people. Our blood is on your door.

ROHR is an on- the- ground protest movement in Zimbabwe which was set up to give people the courage to stand up to oppression and fight for their human rights.

Event: Protest against Mugabe’s post-election reign of terror
Venue: Outside the Zimbabwe Embassy, 429 Strand, London WC2
Date / time: 2 pm – 6 pm, Saturday, 3rd May 2008
Photo Opportunities: Zimbabwean singing, dancing and drumming.
Interview Opportunities: Political activists, torture and rape victims.
Further information: Contact Vigil Co-ordinators Rose Benton (07970 996 003, 07932 193 467) and Dumi Tutani (07960 039 775) and for ROHR Stendrick Zvorwadza (07882 460 295, 07960 113 496)
For archive diary Click here

Vigil spokesman Ephraim Tapa expressed his admiration for the bravery of those confronting the regime. He said an injury to one was an injury to us all. Stendrick Zvorwadza of our partner organization Restoration of Human Rights in Zimbabwe (ROHR) said change could only come about through people standing up for their rights. He said that his deputy in Zimbabwe Tichanzii Gandanga was abducted on Tuesday and found in the bush 80 miles East of Harare on Thursday very badly injured. Apparently he was forced to lie down on the road and then his abductors drove over his legs four times. He is now in hospital in Harare.

The Vigil and ROHR resolved that next week’s Vigil will be dedicated to our suffering, abused, starved and tortured brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe. We will be their voice and will run a petition calling on President Mbeki to intervene to stop the violence because we believe that only South Africa can bring it to an end.

One of our supporters had a chilling experience at the Zimbabwe Embassy. She lost her Zimbabwean passport and had to visit the Embassy to get it replaced. She was thoroughly interrogated and shown a photograph of herself at the Vigil.

For latest Vigil pictures, see the link in the updates column.

FOR THE RECORD: 160 signed the register.

FOR YOUR DIARY:
* Wednesday, 30th April – Saturday, 10th May. “I will tell” a Christian film festival from Jericho Films (http://www.jerichofilms.com/festival08/festival.html). They are inviting Zimbabwe Vigil supporters to take part in discussion panels about 4 of the films: 3rd May – WORLD UNSEEN (High Holborn) a South African film about racism, relationships and politics. 7th May – ESCAPE FROM LUANDA (Greenwich) a story of the power of music in overcoming adversity after the civil war in Angol. 8th May – SON OF MAN (Mayfair) a South African re-interpretation of the story of Jesus against the backdrop of violence, racism and political abuse. 9th May – EZRA (Euston) a story about the experiences of a child soldier. If you wish to take part please contact Jenny on 07961 371 676, jenny.lee@jerichofilms.com.
* Saturday, 10th May 2008, 2 – 6 pm. Next Glasgow Vigil. Venue: Argyle Street Precinct. For more information, contact: Ancilla Chifamba, 07770 291 150 and Patrick Dzimba, 07990 724 137.
For archive diary Click here

Three days of demonstrations outside the Embassy culminated in the relaunch of the Vigil’s petition calling for action against the Southern African Development Community for their failure to hold Mugabe to agreed election protocols. It reads: “A Petition to European Union Governments: We record our dismay at the failure of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to help the desperate people of Zimbabwe at their time of trial. We urge the UK government and the European Union in general to suspend government to government aid to all 14 SADC countries until they abide by their joint commitment to uphold human rights in the region. We suggest that the money should instead be used to feed the starving in Zimbabwe.”

We want to make clear that the aid we want stopped is not humanitarian aid but balance of payments support. If Zimbabwe’s neighbours are giving support to the Mugabe dictatorship they must share the burden of suffering with the people of Zimbabwe, who will need ever-increasing food supplies from abroad because of the disastrous regime.

Several well-known musicians joined the Vigil to protest against the illegal recounting of votes in 23 constituencies, among them Lucky Moyo, formerly of Black Unfolozi, and Willard Karanga, formerly with Thomas Mapfumo’s band. The music was brilliant and drew in many passers-by despite the cold weather. The message was ‘we want change’.

Vigil supporters were also out in force on Friday for a demonstration organised by Action for Southern Africa, the successor to the Anti-Apartheid Movement, to mark Zimbabwe’s Independence Day. It was attended by Stendrick Zvorwadza of our partners Restoration of Human Rights in Zimbabwe (ROHRZim). He said it was not a true Independence Day at all -- independence meant freedom and Zimbabweans were worse off than under the Smith regime. The protest was attended by about 150 people including a number of trade union leaders. There were also representatives of Zimbabwean youth groups who earlier that day had invaded a meeting in London addressed by Vice President Ali Mohamed Shein of Tanzania, which is the current chair of the AU. They challenged him about the organisation’s attitude to Zimbabwe.

The day before, on Thursday, the MDC in the UK staged a protest against the rigged elections outside the Embassy and South Africa House. Earlier in the week, on Tuesday, the Zimbabwe Embassy itself had been invaded by a group of Zimbabweans – all ladies except for one brave man.

We have had massive media coverage in an unprecedented expression of interest in the Zimbabwe situation. It doesn’t surprise us that the Vigil makes up the bulk of 39 people in the UK reportedly targeted by the CIO to be dealt with. Note to Happyton Bonyongwe (head of the CIO): one of your operatives seems to have photographed a page of the Vigil register. He is not really earning his money.

For latest Vigil pictures, see the link in the updates column.

FOR THE RECORD: over 200 signed the register.

FOR YOUR DIARY:
* Saturday, 26th April 2008, 2 – 6 pm. Next Glasgow Vigil. Venue: Argyle Street Precinct. For more information, contact: Ancilla Chifamba, 07770 291 150 and Patrick Dzimba, 07990 724 137.
* Saturday, 26th April 2008, 12 – 2 pm. Bristol Vigil are holding a protest in Bristol City Centre. They write: “Urgent action For Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is in distress - Mugabe is stealing the election. Do your part in helping to restore democracy in Zimbabwe.” Contact: Forward 079 19894 900; Morgan 078 762 66915; Dave 0117 9025009 or Jude 078 0130 4439.
* Wednesday, 30th April – Saturday, 10th May. “I will tell” a Christian film festival from Jericho Films (http://www.jerichofilms.com/festival08/festival.html). They are inviting Zimbabwe Vigil supporters to take part in discussion panels about 4 of the films: 3rd May – WORLD UNSEEN (High Holborn) a South African film about racism, relationship and politics. 7th May – ESCAPE FROM LUANDA (Greenwich) a story of the power of music in overcoming adversity after the civil war in Angola. 8th May – SON OF MAN (Mayfair) a South African re-interpretation of the story of Jesus against the backdrop of violence, racism and political abuse. 9th May – EZRA (Euston) a story about the experience of a child soldier. If you wish to take part please contact Jenny on 07961 371 676, jenny.lee@jerichofilms.com.
For archive diary Click here