News / National
Zapu Europe's Gladys Mabvira in Jubilee Nightmare
14 Dec 2011 at 11:24hrs | Views
The 17th December 2011 marks an eventful jubilee in the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU)' journey to liberate the people of Zimbabwe. One of those born into what should have been a free Zimbabwe, now languishes in a UK detention centre agonising over the possibility of being delivered into Mugabe's "grateful bloody hands" after her request for protection has been refused.
50 years ago, ZAPU was formed under the leadership of Dr Joshua Nkomo, as the first and only authentic political organisation to fight for democracy in Zimbabwe for all citizens, regardless of race, colour, creed, tribe or gender.
Now as then, Zimbabwe is in crisis with a ruling elite who have sharpened the art of violence, brutality and genocide to stay in power.
The appetite of ZAPU is now being rekindled with more than 50, 000 expected to throng Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo on Saturday 17th December. One of South Africa's best ever band, the Soul Brothers, the African National Congress, and other liberation movements from Zambia and the SADC region are expected to grace the occasion.
In the middle of celebration, the world will be reminded in speech and song, of the sacrifices that ZAPU made to liberate Zimbabwe. One of the liberation war heroes, Dr Dumiso Dabengwa who now leads ZAPU may have an opportunity to reflect on what has become of a country he thought he had liberated in 1980 when he participated in the Lancaster House talks that lead to Zimbabwe's "Independence." For a quiet man who found himself being detained in Chikurubi Maximum prison for almost 5 years without charge by Robert Mugabe Government in the 1980s, ZAPU's jubilee may turn out to be proof the people of Zimbabwe are calling on Dr Dabengwa and ZAPU to do what they did those many years ago, liberate Zimbabwe again.
Zimbabwe needs freedom and liberty from Mugabe and his regime. Many are now flocking to ZAPU in full knowledge that the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in all its fragmented forms has failed to deliver a victory and take over power. ZAPU has delivered before, against a tougher and more determined enemy and stands ready to do it again.
Millions of Zimbabweans now scattered in the Diaspora would have loved to be at Barbourfields Stadium to celebrate the birth of our liberation, myself included. This however is not possible because the conditions on the ground are notorious, still.
Just last week, Mugabe readied his troops for a repeat of their bloody path to maintain a hold on power. Despite his advanced age and history of poor governance and brutality, he still believes that somehow, Zimbabweans must be murdered into submission. He is therefore deliberately putting loudspeakers on election talk as a message to his tools of violence and to warn the innocent Zimbabweans of brutality to come.
There are increased reports of violence in the rural areas as well as town areas. With one self proclaimed "war veteran" Jabulani Sibanda causing havoc in Masvingo, Bikita and Gutu. Schools and villages in these areas have been turned into no go areas for those that may vote "differently".
That is why as ZAPU members in Europe, we are shocked and saddened to be told that the United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) is intending to forcibly remove Gladys Mabvira, a ZAPU branch executive in Birmingham to Bikita, Zimbabwe just a day after ZAPU has announced its revived struggle to liberate Zimbabwe from Mugabe's brutal regime.
Mabvira has been one of our consistent branch executives well before issues arose about her leave to remain. She has been inspirational in mobilising Zimbabweans and friends of Zimbabwe in the work of ZAPU in Birmingham and Wolverhampton.
Mugabe is fully aware of the capacity in ZAPU to win power in democratic elections in Zimbabwe. He would have had sleepless nights seeing ZAPU regroup and launch a campaign to finally deliver democracy to Zimbabwe. He would have been frustrated to see former liberation movements lining up to go and support their former comrades in ZAPU during the Jubilee celebrations.
Our fear is that Mugabe would now deal with ZAPU the only way he knows how, through violence as evidence by the Gukurahundi genocide, when Mugabe unleashed the 5 Brigade on innocent supporters of ZAPU in the 1980s, killing some 20,000 civilians in cold blood.
Sending Mabvira to Bikita, an area ZANU PF controls will be good news to Mugabe's troops on the ground. Our fear is that we may have seen the last of her.
As the Chair of the Stakeholders running ZAPU in Europe, I make a direct and special appeal to the Secretary of State for Home Affairs to exercise leniency in this case and allow Mabvira to stay in the UK to continue with her political work to liberate Zimbabwe within ZAPU.
50 years ago, ZAPU was formed under the leadership of Dr Joshua Nkomo, as the first and only authentic political organisation to fight for democracy in Zimbabwe for all citizens, regardless of race, colour, creed, tribe or gender.
Now as then, Zimbabwe is in crisis with a ruling elite who have sharpened the art of violence, brutality and genocide to stay in power.
The appetite of ZAPU is now being rekindled with more than 50, 000 expected to throng Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo on Saturday 17th December. One of South Africa's best ever band, the Soul Brothers, the African National Congress, and other liberation movements from Zambia and the SADC region are expected to grace the occasion.
In the middle of celebration, the world will be reminded in speech and song, of the sacrifices that ZAPU made to liberate Zimbabwe. One of the liberation war heroes, Dr Dumiso Dabengwa who now leads ZAPU may have an opportunity to reflect on what has become of a country he thought he had liberated in 1980 when he participated in the Lancaster House talks that lead to Zimbabwe's "Independence." For a quiet man who found himself being detained in Chikurubi Maximum prison for almost 5 years without charge by Robert Mugabe Government in the 1980s, ZAPU's jubilee may turn out to be proof the people of Zimbabwe are calling on Dr Dabengwa and ZAPU to do what they did those many years ago, liberate Zimbabwe again.
Zimbabwe needs freedom and liberty from Mugabe and his regime. Many are now flocking to ZAPU in full knowledge that the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in all its fragmented forms has failed to deliver a victory and take over power. ZAPU has delivered before, against a tougher and more determined enemy and stands ready to do it again.
Millions of Zimbabweans now scattered in the Diaspora would have loved to be at Barbourfields Stadium to celebrate the birth of our liberation, myself included. This however is not possible because the conditions on the ground are notorious, still.
Just last week, Mugabe readied his troops for a repeat of their bloody path to maintain a hold on power. Despite his advanced age and history of poor governance and brutality, he still believes that somehow, Zimbabweans must be murdered into submission. He is therefore deliberately putting loudspeakers on election talk as a message to his tools of violence and to warn the innocent Zimbabweans of brutality to come.
There are increased reports of violence in the rural areas as well as town areas. With one self proclaimed "war veteran" Jabulani Sibanda causing havoc in Masvingo, Bikita and Gutu. Schools and villages in these areas have been turned into no go areas for those that may vote "differently".
That is why as ZAPU members in Europe, we are shocked and saddened to be told that the United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) is intending to forcibly remove Gladys Mabvira, a ZAPU branch executive in Birmingham to Bikita, Zimbabwe just a day after ZAPU has announced its revived struggle to liberate Zimbabwe from Mugabe's brutal regime.
Mabvira has been one of our consistent branch executives well before issues arose about her leave to remain. She has been inspirational in mobilising Zimbabweans and friends of Zimbabwe in the work of ZAPU in Birmingham and Wolverhampton.
Mugabe is fully aware of the capacity in ZAPU to win power in democratic elections in Zimbabwe. He would have had sleepless nights seeing ZAPU regroup and launch a campaign to finally deliver democracy to Zimbabwe. He would have been frustrated to see former liberation movements lining up to go and support their former comrades in ZAPU during the Jubilee celebrations.
Our fear is that Mugabe would now deal with ZAPU the only way he knows how, through violence as evidence by the Gukurahundi genocide, when Mugabe unleashed the 5 Brigade on innocent supporters of ZAPU in the 1980s, killing some 20,000 civilians in cold blood.
Sending Mabvira to Bikita, an area ZANU PF controls will be good news to Mugabe's troops on the ground. Our fear is that we may have seen the last of her.
As the Chair of the Stakeholders running ZAPU in Europe, I make a direct and special appeal to the Secretary of State for Home Affairs to exercise leniency in this case and allow Mabvira to stay in the UK to continue with her political work to liberate Zimbabwe within ZAPU.
Source - Chair of ZAPU Europe Stakeholders
