Vigil to protest against Mzembi in London

By Staff Reporter

LONDON – Activists from the Zimbabwe Vigil have vowed to stage a demonstration against Zimbabwe’s Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi who is scheduled to give a speech in London at Chatham House.

The demonstration is going to be held on Friday from 12 noon to 1 pm outside the Royal Institute of International Affairs where the Zimbabwean minister and Masvingo South Zanu PF MP is due to speak.

Chatham House, also known as the Royal Institute of International Affairs, is a non-profit, non-governmental organization based in London whose mission is to analyse and promote the understanding of major international issues and current affairs.

Vigil Co-ordinator Rose Benton said: ‘Mzembi presents himself as the reasonable face of Mugabe’s Zanu PF mafia. But he cannot distance himself from the ruination that Mugabe has brought upon Zimbabwe . . . the poverty, starvation, despair, the enslavement of the people to Chinese colonisers’.

The Vigil said “Mzembi is the first Zimbabwean Minister to visit the UK since the rigged elections of 31st July which kept Mugabe in power. Demonstrators will greet him with posters such as: ‘Who poisoned the elephants?’, ‘Who is destroying the forests?’ and ‘Who is stealing the diamonds?’

The Zimbabwe Vigil has been protesting outside the Zimbabwean embassy in London since October 2002 and has vowed to continue “until internationally-monitored, free and fair elections are held in Zimbabwe.”