Zimbos in diaspora to mark independence with protests targeting SA Embassies

Zimbabweans in the diaspora will this Saturday mark the 32nd anniversary of Zimbabwe's Independence with protests targeting South African Embassies all over the world demanding that the South African President Jacob Zuma do his part to ensure that President Robert Mugabe implements the Global Political Agreement which was brokered by the SADC.

Jacob Zuma who was appointed the SADC as facilitator for the dialogue between Mugabe's Zanu (PF) and the MDC has of late failed hold Mugabe accountable to the Global Political Agreement which he signed and to the resolutions made by SADC under which Zimbabwe is supposed to be moving towards creating conditions for free and fair elections.

Dubbed Round 4 of the 21st Free Zimbabwe Global Protest the demonstrations will be held in Washington DC,  London, South Africa and Australia, with the Washington and London protests culminating in Independence celebrations in the evening.

The 21st Free Zimbabwe Global Movement is demanding that President Zuma make a public statement that he, as the SADC Facilitator is not going to allow the holding of elections in Zimbabwe which do not meet the SADC standards.

In the US all MDC-USA Districts will converge in Washington DC for a combined demonstration at the SA Embassy on Massachusetts Av which will be followed by a dinner fundraiser to commemorate Independence. MDC Organising Secretary, Nelson Chamisa is the guest of honor.

In London MDC Midlands South District is joining hands with the Vigil, which holds protests outside the Zimbabwean Embassy every Saturday, to lead a demonstration that culminate in presenting two petitions, one at the South African Embassy and another at the Downing Street office of Prime Minister David Cameron.

The demonstrators will be calling on the Prime Minister to use the UK's position on the Security Council to ensure that the next elections in Zimbabwe are free and fair. As Robert Mugabe's Zanu (PF) is clearly not interested in holding free and fair elections, the demonstrators will be demanding that the United Nations supervise the electoral process and the handover of power whoever would have been elected.

The London demonstrations will start at the Zimbabwean Embassy at 1:00pm and move to the South African at 2:30, before moving to 10 Downing Street for a 4.15 pm presentation.  

The Vigil has been running this petition for over 2 years and has over 12,000 signatures. This year they were encouraged by David Cameron's undertaking to Morgan Tsvangirai to do what he can to ensure free and fair elections in Zimbabwe.

The letter accompanying the petition thanks Prime Minister David Cameron for his recent promise to Prime Minister Tsvangirai to help Zimbabwe hold free and fair elections and asks the UK to pass on the petition, which has been signed in the past two years by more than 12,000 people from all over the world who have passed by the Vigil.

SADC promised last year to send three delegates to help monitor the implementation of the Agreement, but none has yet arrived. We have been told for months that President Zuma is to visit Harare to bang heads together. A date has still to be set.

Instead Jacob Zuma's spokesperson on Zimbabwe, Lindiwe Zulu, was quoted in the Press last week saying her boss was not there to babysit the Zimbabwean crisis. We do not believe anyone in Zimbabwe is asking him to babysit, but to live up to his international obligations.

If he has failed to get Mugabe to implement the SADC resolutions, he should say so and report as such to SADC, rather than dragging the situation, now into its third year without any solutions or sense of urgency.

We fear a scenario in which Zanu PF, in desperation because of Mugabe's failing health, collapses the GNU, calls elections and again bludgeons its way to a victory. Rather than wait for this crisis to happen we believe the international community should reject this now and force Mugabe to abide by the agreement which allowed him to remain in government.

He did not win any election and is in power because of the Global Political Agreement which also called for him to create conditions that are conducive to free and fair elections before any election is held.

After the London demonstration MDC South East District will host the Independence celebrations while at the same time remembering all those who have died and those who are being persecuted by the Mugabe regime.

The MDC UK Youth Assembly will also be remembering the Youth President Solomon Madzore who is still in custody with no bail for over six months now, with the launch of the Free Madzore t-shirt, popular Chimurenga music and good food at.