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587 Days Illegally Detained Job Sikhala
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- Written by: Shamiso Moyo
- Category: ZEXIT
- Hits: 1461
My name is Shamiso Moyo. I am a mother of three children and a grandmother of two. I am a human rights activist and a politician in my own right.
I am a Zimbabwean by birth and descent. I have lived in the UK since 2015 and l am still a stateless law abiding person.
Zimbabwe was once upon a time a bread basket and jewel of Southern Africa. It was at some point an envy of many Africa countries. It had one of the best judiciary systems, police force and army and once upheld its constitution to the letter.
All this has gone down the drain and it has become a banana republic. There is no rule of law, there is captured judiciary, partisan army and police.
When Job Sikhala was harassed and taken to Chikurubi maximum prison on 14th June of 2022 my heart was broken. I thought it was going to be a few weeks or months given the circumstances surrounding his case then which was representing the family of the gruesome murder of Moreblessing Ali.
However alas, one and a half years {587 days or nearly 88 weeks} Job Sikhala is still on remand in the maximum security prison. This is painful as a woman, a mother, a wife, a sister and worse a child of Job. How all those relations of his are feeling. I keep asking myself whether a leader like ED {the squatting [self proclaimed] president} has a 'conscience' at all; this is just about his ego.
Zimbabwe no longer worry themselves about abiding to the constitution which should govern the country they worry about pleasing their masters.
Today (22nd January - see Photo-log HERE) was a very cold day and l braved the cold and rain and chose to be there for Job Sikhala and his family; my heart bleeds for a better Zimbabwe. Not for politics only but for Human Rights. I was there and l could not control my tears and l continue to seek justice for all prisoners of conscience.
Job Sikhala is a bona-fide citizen of Zimbabwe, a qualified lawyer and was an honorable Member of Parliament at the time. He is a father, a husband, a brother an uncle and someone else's son who is languishing in prison for nothing.
His offence is being a voice of the voiceless the down trodden. His offence is demanding justice for the gruesome murder of Moreblessing Ali and most importantly being a prisoner of conscience.
All these have caused him to be locked behind bars for 18 months without conviction. He has been denied bail and has been denied his family and friends. He is languishing in jail in iron legs for a crime they have failed to establish for 18 months and yet they cannot bail him. Job Sikhala has suffered the highest magnitude of injustice just because Ed Mnangagwa says so!
This is the reason l decided to go and plead on his behalf for the World to intervene. Job Sikhala is going for trial on 24 January 2024 again for a countless number of times can the captured judiciary of Zimbabwe for wants render this soul justice can they give him bail and let him go to his family. This abuse of power and authority must come to an end.
As a human rights activist and politician l always fear for my life Zimbabwe is not a safe place. Many people have been abducted and tortured and left for dead. Some have been murdered just for what they believe in. After the August 23 elections five people have been murdered for political reasons and the murderers are still roaming the streets free.
Zimbabwe needs to be made to realise that they must change and must respect the will of the people.
As l board the bus back from London to Coventry l could not stop to think about all the injustices people in Zimbabwe are suffering and l cannot see an end to all this in the near future. This is going to continue because Zanu PF wants to silence the voices of reason so that they continue to loot the resources of the country.
We will continue to speak we will continue to expose the madness of Zanu PF. Alluta continua
Strangely enough there were Zanu PF sympathisers present today who claimed to be "journalists" for Zimba Wave Media {see for yourself as there are several highly partisan articles from the discredited Dr{??} MASIMBA MAVAZA!} The chap who made some amazing claims about ZHRO's John Burke during the amazing COP26 Protests and demonstrations where the only headline Zanu PF made was about the "Booze Cruise" as featured on the TV Show "Have I Got News For You as seen on Twitter/X and See ZHRO Article Link HERE
""At Zimba Wave Media, we believe in the power of storytelling to inspire, entertain, and influence positive change"" It seems they are very much focused on the Story Telling side, and a bit scarce on the FACTS!
The Normalization of Oppression
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- Written by: Tendai Ruben Mbofana
- Category: Take2Zimbabwe
- Hits: 1357
TENDAI RUBEN MBOFANA - THE UN-OPPRESSED MIND!
Mnangagwa Regime Perpetuating the Normalization of Oppression!
We frequently drove past the outskirts of the low density suburb of Redcliff – on our way either to or from the nearby high density ‘township’ of Torwood, where we resided. Zimbabwe President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa. Nonetheless, there was something that I always found curious if not disturbing.
Why was it that only white people stayed in Redcliff suburb whilst we (blacks) were packed in Torwood?
That is when my father, whose political consciousness was exceptional, explained the racial injustices of the colonial era.
However, there was something else I had problems understanding.
Why did the people, particularly the segregated black majority, appear content with this clearly oppressive situation? We all went about our daily business as if there was absolutely nothing untoward and sinister about being separated purely on the basis of skin colour. We somehow seemed to have accepted this skewed and unfair setup.
Of course, there was a liberation struggle taking place during that time – but let us be brutally frank, most of us in towns never exhibited much anger against the system.
In fact, there was never a shortage of those of us who shamefully attempted to rationalize why whites and blacks lived apart, attended different schools, and even shopped at separate outlets. In all these cases, the white population always had the better deal – with more opulent suburbs and spacious houses, more sophisticated and equipped schools, as well as attractive upmarket shopping centers. This was dismissed, by some amongst the black folk, simply with a: because there are white.
That was accepted by many as a satisfactory enough reason.
In other words, over the course of eight decades of colonialism, oppression had become inculcated as ‘normal’ in the minds of the black population. Nevertheless, the advent of independence in 1980 should have brought with it a deliberate policy by the new administration to re-educate and re-align the citizenry’s mindsets. It was imperative for the population to be conditioned to stop accepting segregation, oppression, and mediocrity especially from their government. Zimbabweans needed to appreciate how important they were and that they deserved nothing but the best this great nation had to offer.
They had to finally understand that they were not second-class citizens.
Yet, this never happened.
In fact, it appears as though our new leaders had every desire to perpetuate this mindset – in which the population found absolutely nothing wrong or deplorable about being treated as inferior citizens in their own country. This was because the post-colonial establishment had absolutely no intentions whatsoever in addressing the decades-long repression and marginalization of the majority. What occurred in 1980 was, in actual fact, merely a replacement of one group of oppressors with another – the only thing changing being the skin colour.
These thoughts were reignited in my mind this morning as I read a statement ostensibly published by the ruling ZANU PF party – whereby they bragged about drilling boreholes across Zimbabwe.
Wow, so having a population still reliant on communal boreholes in this day and age – some 43 years after colonialism – is supposed to be a thing of pride, regarded as a phenomenal achievement! It is actually quite ridiculous whenever I pass by a borehole – along the road to my home in the low density suburb of Redcliff – which has a huge portrait of President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa. Surely, in a town that once prided itself as ‘Little London’ – due to its beauty, commendable development, and upmarket nature – there is everything shameful when it has now been transformed into a glorified rural village.
This is on account of the small town having not had any potable water flowing in residents’ homes for the past three years.
So, why would Mnangagwa and ZANU PF find the drilling of a communal borehole such a massive feat – which actually deserves a huge billboard to advertise this fact? It is akin to a father who places an advertisement in a newspaper boasting that he had finally bought his son a (secondhand) shirt – in spite of him (the son) not having had any decent clothes for years. We have witnessed, with astonishment, this unsettling trend play out in rural areas – where villagers were expected to celebrate being handed free agricultural inputs and even food aid.
What manner of madness it that?
After 43 years of independence why would any one – regardless of which part of Zimbabwe they reside – be in need of any form of handouts? In a country endowed with some of the world’s most sought-after natural resources, should we not now be experiencing world-class city-like life even in the most remote rural areas? Are our rural folk, by now, not supposed to be commercial farmers, owning productive fertile well-equipped (with irrigation facilities) land that enabled them to enjoy a high standard of living?
- Remember we are talking of a country with the largest reserves of lithium in Africa, the second platinum deposits in the world, the seventh largest producer of diamonds, and the second largest gold reserves per square kilometer.
- This is not to mention black granite, chrome, nickel, copper, asbestos, silver, and any others.
Why then are our schools – both rural and urban – not some of the most advanced in the world? Should each and every household in the country – no matter where it is located – not be having access to reliable, consistent and affordable water and electricity? So, why do we celebrate when a measly poorly-equipped classroom block is constructed – portraying this as major development?
- Why do we run out of words of praise for Mnangagwa when the government finally builds a clinic in an area where villagers, ever since independence, have had to walk for over 20 kilometers to the nearest health care center?
- What is there to celebrate when the government borrows money to build a pathetic two power generation units – in a country still dependent on antiquated machinery which has long passed its operational limits?
- Zimbabwe is now notorious for its incessant power outages – which can span over ten hours a day.
- Right now, as I write this article, we have no electricity.
In fact, why are Zimbabweans still ranked amongst the poorest people on the planet – with 47 percent classified as living in extreme poverty. In the midst of all this suffering, we witness (on a daily basis) those in power or aligned to them living the life of the rich and famous – seemingly with no limit to their finances and opulence. They can build grandiose mansions, drive the most expensive cars, fly wherever they want in the world, host some of the most exquisite shindigs – all this, unashamedly flaunted for the poor to see and admire.
In all this, the source of their wealth is never clear.
Of course, nothing remains hidden forever – as the extent of their corruption and looting of national resources eventually becomes known to the citizenry. How is the country expected to develop when we are losing over US$3 billion every year to the smuggling of our minerals, illicit financial transactions, and other corrupt activities? How then is that different from when I was still a five or six-year-old boy – as we drove past those plush spacious houses of Redcliff on our way to the poor crammed Torwood? There is something clearly wrong with this picture – yet we have those who see nothing amiss.
- They even support and defend this outright discrimination and marginalization of the majority in Zimbabwe.
- Everything for them is great and the country is headed in the right direction.
- At times, I feel these were the same people during the colonial days who would rationalize our oppression.
- For them, those in power have every right to be well-off whilst the rest of us survive on the crumbs from the tables of the powerful.
These ‘supporters’ do not care whether they are also suffering. As in the past, where they would say, ‘they deserve a better life because they are white’ – today it is: they deserve the good life because they are ‘shefus’. It goes to show that the oppression mentality of the colonial era still reigns supreme today
– this time, advanced and promoted by our own black rulers.
Are the Chinese helping Zimbabwe
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- Written by: Tendai Ruben Mbofana
- Category: Take2Zimbabwe
- Hits: 1298
Imagine your father has an ‘all-weather friend’, who appears to stand by him in every situation. He looks away as your father brutally batters your mother and does not appear to give a hoot when his family goes without decent nutritional food. Yet, the ‘dear friend’ never hesitates buying your father liters of alcohol, books him into lodges to enjoy with his secret lover, and dresses him with the latest exquisite attire.
In all this, he is not willing to (as he simply does not care) help when you cry out for desperately-needed school fees or money to procure urgent medical attention for your severely sick mother. As a matter of fact, the friend now appears to have some undue unexplained influence over your father – such that, he (father) readily gives him various family expensive assets, leaving his wife and children poorer.
What can we say about your father’s friend?
Can he be regarded as a true friend or actually an unwanted manipulating crook – who does not genuinely love your father, let alone his family – but merely wants to exploit him?
- Is this not exactly what we are witnessing with the relationship between Zimbabwe and China?
- Our supposed ‘all-weather friends’ seem always too ready to ‘assist’ the country.
- Just yesterday, they donated some military hardware, in the form of armored fighting vehicles, personnel carriers, ambulances, motorized water purifiers, patrol boats, minibuses, sniper rifles, machine guns, and hand pistols.
- As I am writing this list, my mind cannot help thinking of the Rudd Concession of 1888 – signed between Cecil John Rhodes and Ndebele King Lobengula – in which the latter was promised a gunboat, and Martini-Henry rifles with their ammunition in exchange for our gold!
Why wouldn’t I, since the Chinese are pretty much doing the same?
In the midst of donating a humongous parliament building in Mount Hampden and assisting in the massive expansion of the RGM International Airport – Zimbabwe has, in the process, lost its natural resources to the Chinese. The East Asians have seemingly been granted ‘complete and exclusive charge over all metals and minerals situated and contained’ in Zimbabwe, in typical Rudd Concession fashion. Whilst the Chinese are pillaging our diamonds, platinum, gold, and now lithium, local communities continue to wallow in extreme poverty. According to a recent ZELA (Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association) report, Chinese-owned companies have acquired the biggest portfolio of lithium mining projects in Zimbabwe.
Petitions Delivered
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- Written by: John Burke, Chief Felix Ndiweni, Duke Maplanka, Model Pamire and Panyika Karimanzira plus others
- Category: ZEXIT
- Hits: 1815
What a great day - despite the drizzle later, a very successful day was had by the wide ranging citizens groups that included Chief Felix Ndiweni, Duke Maplanka {ZAPU EU Chair} https://zapu.info/ Model Pamire {CCC UK Organising Secretary} https://ccc-diaspora.com/ Panyika Karimanzira {ROHR Spokesperson} https://rohr-zimbabwe.org/ and John Burke {ZHRO} https://zhro.org.uk/.
{And those in Pretoria Brian Muziringa {DMRNO Chair} https://dmrno.org And others ZIP, AIP and ZYA.}
The 40 plus Zimbabweans who braved the cold and wet were rewarded by the willingness of all that we visited to 'LISTEN' to the plight of normal {non-Zanu PF} citizens - and to question the propaganda based narrative emanating for those squatting in the Chinese Built Parliament - who are additionally disenfranchised the brave voting Zimbabwean Electorate! We have asked "Why is it that ZEC have still not given any NUMERICAL justification for the Soft Coup happening in Zimbabwe.
Today Zimbabweans arrived from all over the UK - Bolton, Huddersfield, Manchester, Peterlee, Leicester, Corby, Birmingham, Cardiff, Southampton, Milton Keynes, and elsewhere - this shows the level of commitment to make such a journey to a miserable Central London march.
In Birminghan, Shamiso had organised a "sit-in" to draw the attentions to the plight of the Zimbabwean electorate - which of course included those within the diaspora who are illegally/unconstitutionally not invited to vote. SADC themselves in their recommendations, puts the Diaspora vote "on the table" as it were. So we await the 'carpeting' of Mnangagwa in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, by the SADC Elders on the 18th December!
New contacts have been made, doors are beginning to be 'opened' and we have been invited back to discuss further the Zimbabwe crises - yes the multiple of crisis! Rishi Sunak even arranged a wonderful Christmas Tree to make our arrival more "festive" - see more photos on our Flickr Album - Click the link below.
The rigged election, the gerrymandering, the abductions, intimidation's, the torture and the MURDER too - the World has been watching and making note. The Criminal Zanu PF regime, "who are "squatters" within the White Elephant (the Chinese Built Parliament Building!), need to face the proverbial music. #ZanuPFMustGO
At present we have the Flickr Photo Log uploaded and ready to view right now CLICK HERE to VIEW
The full Petition as a PDF can be viewed or Downloaded CLICK HERE to LOOK
14th November 2023 ZAPU Statement
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- Written by: Duke Maplanka
- Category: Press Statements
- Hits: 987
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