Activists Unite in Brighton to walk to London - 105km walk
Zimbabwe Human Rights Organisation (ZHRO) will lead the annual "Walk For Freedom" from Brighton Pier to Hampton Court, London
ZHRO courage mirrors that of many other Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) activists who have suffered arrests, abductions, and torture simply for demanding change. For years, ZANU PF has governed through fear. But with bold steps the August 9–10 will not be remembered as just another pair of days in Zimbabwe’s political calendar. These will be remember as the days when brave citizens like:--
Rashie Bayisayi, John Burke, Samuel Jambaya, Melody Magejo, Josephine Jenje Mudimbu, Patson Muzuwa, Shepherd Yuda, Elizabeth Chitengo, Evy Kagandi, Mgcini Victor Hlophe, Nobukhosi Dube, Dickson Chikwizo, Tawandda Matangambiri, Ettar Patience Mhlanga, Shamiso Moyo, Velisiwe Ndhlovu, Kelvin T Mhlanga, Moses Mabno, Victor Simon, Genius Mamwadhu and Irene Munyaradzi - all stepped forward to walk for freedom—defying a system that thrives on fear, silence, and repression.
We are going to walk not in fear, but in defiance, not in silence but in the thunderous voice of people who refuse to be crushed. We walk for freedom – a freedom long overdue. A freedom stolen. A freedom denied.
Gathering across cities, villages, and hearts, united against a regime that has forgotten what it means to serve. ZANU PF, your time is up. Your betrayal of the Zimbabwean people is written in the tears of our mothers, the blood of our youth, and the graves of our fallen comrades.
- We walk for the brave sons and daughters abducted in the night for speaking truth.
- We walk for those tortured for demanding bread, jobs, and dignity.
- We walk for journalists silenced, for students beaten, for women brutalised.
- We walk for For Itai Dzamara For the countless others whose names we may never know, but whose spirits walk with us today.
And yes – we walk during Heroes Day not by accident, but with purpose.
For too long, Heroes Day has been hijacked by those who claim liberation while practicing oppression Heroes Acre was built to honor the brave sons and daughters of our land—those who sacrificed everything for our freedom, justice, and dignity. It was meant to unite us, to remind us of the price of independence, and to inspire future generations.
But today, we must speak the truth: Heroes Acre is being misused by ZANU-PF.
It has become a political tool, where hero status is no longer based on sacrifice or service to the people—but on loyalty to a party. National heroes are now chosen not by merit, but by political favor. This desecrates the memories of true liberators and turns a sacred monument into a stage for propaganda.
We cannot allow a place meant to symbolize unity and national pride to be reduced to a party shrine. Heroes Acre belongs to the nation—not to a political party.
But we declare: the true heroes are not found in marble statues or stolen elections – they are found in the streets, in our communities, and in this protest.
- Heroes are the vendors arrested for surviving.
- Heroes are the whistleblowers who risk everything to expose the rot.
- Heroes are the youth who still believe that Zimbabwe can rise.
9-10 August we walk in honour not only the past heroes of Chimurenga – but the present heroes of resistance.
Let it be known: we are not here to beg. We are not here to plead. We are here to demand:
- An end to abductions and state-sponsored violence
- Free and fair elections, monitored and protected
- Jobs and opportunity for our youth
- A government that serves the people – not itself
To the regime that clings to power through fear – hear us clearly:
- Your bullets cannot kill an idea.
- Your prisons cannot hold a movement.
- And your lies cannot silence the truth.
Zimbabwe belongs to us all – not to a party, not to a few, not to a family dynasty.