SW Radio Africa (London)
Alex Bell
10 October 2008
Protest action group the Zimbabwe Vigil is marking its 6th anniversary outside the Zimbabwe embassy in London on Saturday - this as the country's political, humanitarian and economic crises continues to put millions of lives at risk.
The Vigil was launched on the 12th of October 2002 after MDC MP Roy Bennett and Tony Reeler of the Amani Trust suggested a regular vigil against the illegitimate regime in Zimbabwe, as an effective way to raise awareness in the UK about the plight of the Zimbabwean people. The pair cited the hugely successful pickets outside South Africa House during the time of apartheid and as a result the Central London Branch of the MDC set up the Zimbabwe Vigil - which has been held every Saturday since.
The group's main focus over its six years has not only been to raise awareness, but also to put pressure on Southern African regional leaders and European leaders, not to recognize the Robert Mugabe regime. The group uses weekly protests, as well as high profile campaigns and strongly worded and often controversial petitions, to urge action against the human rights violations in Zimbabwe. The most recent high profile action was the combined protest with Tibetan and Burmese human rights groups during the Beijing Olympics, outside the Chinese embassy in London. All three countries are victims of China's use of its veto in the UN Security Council to protect human rights abusers.
The group's use of petitions, often signed by passersby during the Saturday Vigils, has been another successful form of protest, despite certain controversies. Most recently, the Vigil issued a petition to football association FIFA urging them to pull the 2010 world cup away from South Africa. The group has said the petition is not to punish Africa, but to put pressure on the region to take action against Mugabe.
The Vigil's coordinator, Rose Benton, told Newsreel on Friday that the anniversary "is not a celebration, because nothing has changed in Zimbabwe." She explained that the group has done well to raise awareness, but expressed anger that "a dictator can keep his hands on Zimbabwe and the world is apparently unable to do anything."
The Vigil has stated since day one that it will continue until internationally-monitored, free and fair elections are held in Zimbabwe. But Benton said on Friday she never thought the protests would need to enter their sixth year. "Every year we say that surely we won't be here for another year," Benton said, "and yet we're still here."
But Benton added that the Vigil will not give up its efforts and made it clear that their motivation to keep going is the Zimbabwean people. "We've always said we're not in this for fame," Benton explained. "We are saying to people back home that we care, and that is the most important message."
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