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A rant in the Herald on Friday against President Ramaphosa shows Zanu PF’s paranoia about South Africa and the party’s smug malignance. The article can only cast a shadow over already-strained bilateral relations.

The article virtually calls for the overthrow of Ramaphosa and asserts that the only future for South Africa is to follow in Zanu PF’s footsteps and appropriate white-controlled land without compensation etc.

With dazzling irrationality, the author concludes that, whatever happens, South Africa is doomed . ‘Zimbabwe (he says) is the only country in the region with the diversity of resources, endowment of skills, stability and hunger for investment to safeguard Western investment in the region.’ (See: https://www.herald.co.zw/why-west-is-changing-narrative-on-zim-sa/.)

For our part, the Vigil believes the Herald would be better off concentrating on its famous scoops like Thursday’s ‘Zim celebrates World Kidney Day’. Kid you not (see: https://www.herald.co.zw/zim-celebrates-world-kidney-day/).

A less rosy future for the country was painted by the President of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, Peter Mutasa, who said Zimbabwe is now a failed state. ‘It is expected that government will say there is no crisis, the abusers will see peace because they are benefitting but their victims will be saying they cannot breathe.’

He continued: ‘One thing that is central to this debacle is that they are not just defending political power, they are on steroids in terms of primitive accumulation, they are defending economic gains, their diamonds, gold claims, land; they are defending their ill-gotten wealth.’ (See: https://www.newzimbabwe.com/zanu-pf-ministers-only-interested-in-fattening-their-pockets-zctu/.)

Mutasa was speaking at a meeting organised by the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition attended by the MDC Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa, as well as church and student leaders. Chamisa said that people should come together and force Mnangagwa to the negotiating table to collectively resolve the Zimbabwe crisis.

‘It is no longer time for us to be divided in our little silos. It is time for collective action and we are not going to be coming to these platforms as politicians, but as citizens . . . We remain optimistic and I also hope that finally Mr Mnangagwa will begin to see light and begin to understand that he has to feel for Zimbabweans. It is not a normal country when you wake up and see nothing is working, including workers who can’t even work. Nothing is working and nothing is functioning.’ (See: https://www.newsday.co.zw/2021/03/chamisa-allies-push-for-dialogue/.)

Chamisa has refused to take part in the Political Actors’ Dialogue (POLAD), created by Mnangagwa, dismissing it as a charade. There has been an angry response from the Zanu PF national spokesman, Simon Khaya Moyo, who accused Chamisa of trying to cause instability (see: https://www.newsday.co.zw/2021/03/zanu-pf-lobbies-for-chamisa-arrest/).

Meanwhile, it is reported that leaders of the fringe parties comprising POLAD are making extravagant demands such as diplomatic passports and farms for taking part in the initiative (see: https://www.thestandard.co.zw/2021/03/14/mnangagwas-polad-allies-greed-exposed/).

Other Points:

• The President of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi, has sacked the country’s military chiefs including the commanders of the army and the air force. No reason has been given but the military has failed to stop the insurgency in the mineral-rich northern province of Cabo Delgado. Islamist militants have been responsible for dozens of terror attacks, including the beheading of civilians, and more than half a million people are said to have been forced from their homes in the past year alone (see: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-africa-47639452).
• Because of the coronavirus we can no longer physically meet outside the Zimbabwe Embassy in London, so we have a virtual Vigil while the restrictions continue. We ask our activists to put on Vigil / ROHR / Zimbabwe regalia and take a photo of themselves holding an appropriate poster reflecting our protest against human rights abuses in Zimbabwe. The photos are uploaded on our Flickr site: https://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/albums/72157718632659793. Our virtual Vigil activist today was Benjamin Molife who kindly contributed to Vigil funds.

• For Vigil pictures check: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/. Please note: Vigil photos can only be downloaded from our Flickr website.

Notices:

• 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.
• The Vigil’s book ‘Zimbabwe Emergency’ is based on our weekly diaries. It records how events in Zimbabwe have unfolded as seen by the diaspora in the UK. It chronicles the economic disintegration, violence, growing oppression and political manoeuvring – and the tragic human cost involved. It is available at the Vigil. All proceeds go to the Vigil and our sister organisation the Restoration of Human Rights in Zimbabwe's work in Zimbabwe. The book is also available from Amazon.
• Facebook pages:

         Vigil: https://www.facebook.com/zimbabwevigil

         ROHR: https://www.facebook.com/Restoration-of-Human-Rights-ROHR-Zimbabwe-International-370825706588551/

         ZAF: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Zimbabwe-Action-Forum-ZAF/490257051027515