SW Radio Africa (London)
Alex Bell
9 January 2009
South African civic and church leaders, as well as former anti-apartheid activists, are set to come together to press the country's government and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to find an urgent solution to the Zimbabwe crisis.
The campaign, which will be highlighted by hunger strikes by church leaders and activists, is set to get under way in the next 10 days and is hoped to impress upon the continent, especially SADC and South African leaders, the wider implications of the crisis that has left untold thousands dead in Zimbabwe. Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, who has been critically outspoken against the South African government's handling of the crisis, has pledged his support by committing himself to a weekly fast. He will also be joined by Bishop Paul Verryn from Johannesburg's Central Methodist Church, which houses and cares for more than 1000 Zimbabwean refugees who have fled their homes.
Former anti-apartheid activist and honorary president of the global alliance for citizen participation (Civicus) Kumi Naidoo, has also committed himself to a hunger strike, together with Pastor Raymond Motsi from the Bulawayo Baptist Church. Naidoo explained on Friday that the hunger strike is not only an act of solidarity with the Zimbabwean people, but also a "symbolic act of moral outrage" at the atrocities being committed in the country.
Naidoo, who is co-ordinating the campaign, was part of an undercover delegation that toured Zimbabwe over Christmas, filming the lives and circumstances of the suffering people. The film, 'Time 2 Act' was aired at a press conference at the Central Methodist Church this week and copies are set to be distributed to South African President Kgalema Mothlanthe as well as SADC and African Union leaders, in an effort to persuade the leaders to put more pressure on Mugabe's government "to restore democracy and constitutional order."
In the film, several Zimbabwean church, trade union and community leaders, as well as ordinary citizens, give voice to the suffering of the country, which has been completely ravaged by the devastating humanitarian crisis. One Zimbabwean on the film appealed for action from the Southern African region, saying: "Please SADC take our problems seriously, don't neglect us." Another Zimbabwean interviewed lashed out at South Africa, saying the country "is acting as a condom to Mugabe."
Naidoo explained that the film will give Zimbabweans the opportunity to appeal to African leaders, in their own voices, for intervention in the crisis in their country. He said the situation in the country is "far worse than what is being reported in the international media" and argued that Zimbabweans are battling a "passive genocide."
"We came back quite shaken by what we saw there, where there is pervasive hunger and pervasive fear," Naidoo explained. "But we have been inspired by the courage and fortitude of the Zimbabwean people and we need to help them."
Civicus also plans to mobilise greater protests by South Africans, including students, against the Mugabe government and to name and shame South African companies operating there. The Zimbabwe Solidarity Forum is already planning to release a list of South African companies operating in Zimbabwe, which the organisation says are contributing to the suffering of the people.
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We are aware Jallohlaw that people who continuously praise Mugabe are involved in serious shady and corrupt schemes. It’s a way of blinding even the closest Mugabe’s security people. People like you could be involved in dangerous fraud likely to leave Zimbabwe bankrupt. We know the loudest sloganeers in Zanu PF are the biggest looters this is why Zimbabwe is now one of the poorest countries in the world. It’s about play the same tune loudest while stealing. We call it blinded by the slogan but time might not be on your side when the tough gets going.
Spineless, bellicose rhodie NONSENSE.
RHODIE WATCH DOG COMMITTEE IN HARARE, THE ANTI-RHODIE CITY.
Hollowjaw, all you ever do is come on here and say that the content of anyone who says anything against Mugabe is nonsense. Yet you have no argument to back up your comments. Its easy to simply come on here and say that peoples comments are nonsense. It takes an intelligent man to come on here and use logic and sensible argument to rebut another persons comments. But you never do it. You just come here and waste peoples time. It really is quite sad, and extremely childish. Nonsense here, nonsense there. No one even cares what you say anymore… [Read Full Text]
The Government of Zimbabwe is a secular government. Religionists are urged to keep their religion to themselves.
And, the Government of Zimbabwe denounces in the strongest terms any attempt to influence the considered policies of the people of Zimbabwe by eccelesiastical exploitation of the sentiments of the people of Zimbabwe.
Committe on Secularism, in the City of THE LIGHT, HARARE.
If people of the calibre of Jallohlaw represent the Government of Zimbabwe then we are assured of further organized stupidity
More disorganized nonsense from tails of Osama BINT mt's rhodie surrogates.
Mano o mano
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and They should be like the Bishop of York cut off their collars in front in full public view