APRIL the 18th is suppossed to be a day of celebrations but we as Nottingham Zimbawean Community Network (NZCN) are mourning the death of democracy in Zimbabwe. Further facts on the ground why we get into such a mood are:
. There are still gross human rights abuses in Zimbabwe
. Mugabe’s regime still detains activists into detention without trial
. Matthew Mwale, the man who murdered the opposition party cadres Tichaona Chiminya and Talent Mabika still roams in Zimbabwe - the open secret is, he was rewarded with a farm for those murders.
. Farm invasions have reached their peak despite the signing of the deal which ushered the government of national unity.
. NGOs are still not allowed to operate freely.
. Schools were closed for a whole year and
. School of Medicine closed indefinitely and Hospitals that are just like mere monuments, without even a pair of gloves or a painkiller
. Roy Bennett still is yet to be sworn in
The above constitute just a tip of the iceberg as to why we feel the Zimbabwe is not in a celebratory mood at all but mourning not only the death of democracy but also their fall from being the breadbasket of Africa to their basket case situation.
Asked why NZCN taking the above stance, one prominent member of the organisation said: ” This is because it’s only in Zimbabwe where the winner is forced to share power with the loser after an election. The is bloodshed each time people go for elections - abductions, torture, gaggling of the press, abuse of human rights left, right and centre, unlimited term of office for the president and his cronies and henchman, the most appalling history of planned accidents, holding the nation at ransom and getting away with murder yet ironically claiming to be champions of democracy, continous scapgoating and castgation of the West saying they must not interefere with Zimbabwe’s sovereignty. A country where the army, police and state intelligence body are partisan to the president and vow never to salute the opposition leader who was sworn in as prime minister. A place where one is persecuted and even killed for belonging to the opposition party or expressing views contrary to those of the ‘dear leader’ or president of that country and where every one is expected to dance to the tune of the dear leader.”
The NZCN member ended up saying that in Nottingham, organisation should extend its cause from helping Nottigham Zimbabean community to organising and sourcing help for Zimbabweans in Nottingham’s twin, Harare and if possible spread the help to the homeless and destitute in the rest of that society.