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Can Zimbabwe Diaspora Women in UK allow trade talks, with a country abusing its women?

by ZHRO
01 Sep 2019 at 07:55hrs | Views
ZHRO (Zimbabwe Human Rights Organisation) Leadership has rallied its members to join the MDC (Movement For Democratic Change) (Zimbabwe's main Opposition party) in the UK to Protest the arrival of a high-powered delegation from Zimbabwe on, Monday 2nd of September 2019, at Amba Hotel, Charing Cross in Central London.  The Delegation from Zimbabwe which is rumoured to include ZANU PF government Ministers is scheduled to have a Trade and Investment seminar followed by Business to Business meetings, which are advertised as starting at 9am until 5pm. 


Sekai Marashe aka, Muchaina

This is following, the High-Profile alleged abductions in Zimbabwe of the youthful MDC Midlands Youth Assembly Chair, Sekai Marashe aka, Muchaina, the apparent abduction of the extremely popular comedian Gonyeti, (who was interviewed by the BBC) by ZANU P.F. proxies.  Their reports of beatings, torture, dehumanisation at the hands of masked men, the worrying reports of being forced to drink raw sewage, stripping nak*d (Gonyeti), (for obvious reasons as said by hard-line U.K. Human Rights Activist Chinyanga).  Then, the latest leaked video of apparent police brutality against women in Harare for nothing on the 16th of August 2019, has left Diaspora Human Rights activists worried and angry.  Further allegations, which include numerous statements that between the 14-16th of January 2019 ZANU P.F. proxies with the help of soldiers and police apparently assaulted, raped and tortured several women in various cities in the country.  

All the above seems to be just the tip of the Iceberg of abuses by the state, that this once young and promising country is experiencing after the hope of becoming truly open and inclusive has been turned into nothing but a horrible nightmare.  Jestina Mukoko, a Zimbabwean human rights activist and the Director of the Zimbabwe Peace Project, a journalist by training and a former newsreader with the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation.  Speaking on the 29th of August 2019, Live on ZIMEYE media Facebook page said, amongst other things, "I think if we look at the month of August alone, as the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO (Non-Governmental Organisation) Forum, we have recorded 19 (Nineteen) cases of abductions."  Thus far, there are only two that have really hit the media.

The above shows not just an isolated incident, but more than just a mere marginal propensity of the ruling party in Zimbabwe, ZANU PF and its proxies, to commit acts which seem to violate the oaths that they signed at the United Nations, to protect Women and the Girl Child from abuse when they became signatories to CEDAW (The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women.  They (ZANU PF) seem to be the abusers, encouraging the abusers, and or turning a blind eye to the abuses.

Flagrant remarks by a Prominent ZANU PF, member (who will not be named) who in a Twitter post seemed to insinuate that Sekai Marashe was or is a prostitute, and further remarked, "Gonyeti did a comedy on police accommodation and it's apparent she has done another one on abductions."  Imagine Trevor Noah being abducted, beaten up, tortured, dehumanised and sodomised for doing his Job, then a Government Minister making fun of him afterwards, whilst he is recuperating and hardly able to move in hospital.  No wonder he has not set foot in Zimbabwe.

Amnesty International has written in a report dated 23 august 2019, "What we have witnessed in Zimbabwe since President Emmerson Mnangagwa took power is a ruthless attack on human rights, with the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association increasingly restricted and criminalised." This has left many human rights defenders based in the UK and the West extremely distressed, angry and upset over the apparent ill-treatment that people are receiving for either, being part of a political party, (although obviously upsetting to some) exercising free speech or simply demanding a better wage or livelihood, after receiving the equivalent of less than £50 (Fifty Great British Pounds Sterling) per month.

This has led the Leadership of ZHRO (Zimbabwe Human Rights Organisation) based in the UK, promising to protest the business function/s that have been planned by ZANU PF as Zimbabwe Outward Trade Mission to UK.  

They (ZANU PF) seem to be using the lame excuse of a lie called "Sanctions" to make the people poor (a tactic to hide their failure to govern without kleptocracy), then angry, so that they can strip the wealth of the nation.  They (ZANU PF and its proxies) say that sanctions, the MDC and the West are to blame, for the people being poor, that the official opposition has told the E.U. to put sanctions.  The truth is that the E.U. has no sanctions on over 99.6% of Zimbabweans and the official opposition actually got the majority of sanctions removed years ago (in 2012 to be exact).  This is what is called Political Expediency in its most extreme form where the common man's interest is non-existent.  The sad irony is that, the majority of War Veterans (Part of ZANU PF proxies) are reported to be surviving on less than £0.50 (half of one Great British pound Sterling) per day and they are adamant that there are sanctions against them, yet in actual fact there aren't any.

One can actually argue that Zimbabwe has better trading conditions with U.K. and Europe, than China, India or Australia.  However, the problem is clearly of perpetual Lies being peddled.  "Why is the Delegation coming to UK for business if there are sanctions?" Asked one of the ZHRO members at the ZHRO Wednesday Vigil.  My own opinion is that many members of ZANU PF are fibbers, they are coming to the UK to do business because they know there are no sanctions, yet they always lie to those in Zimbabwe using their influence and power to project messages far and wide.

Previously when S.B. Moyo, came to the UK, he got sprayed with water.  He was well known for being the coup, not coup announcer.  One wonders what awaits the high-profile delegates that are said to be travelling to Amba Hotel, Charing Cross, London, for the Zimbabwe Outward Trade Mission to the UK.  The delegation best be ware, UK Women Have Rights.

By The ZHRO Team



Source - ZHRO
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