Mugabe’s contempt for Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe Vigil Diary
Happy and content must be the land whose president is confident and secure enough to fly off on a month-long holiday with bucket and spade and doesn’t even leave a forwarding address.
There are few such enviable countries, especially in Africa where coups are not uncommon. But Zimbabwe is obviously one such haven of peace and stability.
Vice-President Mnangagwa, ‘acting Boss’, indicated as much when he disclosed that he was unable to ask Mugabe whether the late lamented former provincial governor Peter Chanetsa qualified as a Hero because he couldn’t get hold of the Hero-in-Chief for his ruling.
So poor old Pete will have to wait in the fridge until the Boss gets home and decides whether Pete can have a plot in Heroes’ Acre. By then he will deserve hero status anyway because the Boss has apparently plans to flit all over the place before he drops by in Harare again to replenish his funds.
Rumours that Mugabe is spending all his time building sandcastles on a beach in Singapore are apparently far from the mark. China is on his itinerary, as well as other holiday hotspots such as Mali and Equatorial Guinea and, of course Dubai, where he will no doubt satisfy Grace’s demand for a diamond big enough for the next president.
He will probably take the opportunity while in Dubai to sort out the little difficulty over payment for the $1.3 million gem that she has rejected. In the meantime Grace has told her stooges to ignore the court order that she should leave the properties in Harare she seized from the diamond dealer.
Other points
- Grace’s blatant disregard of the law comes as Zanu PF prepares to change the constitution introduced only four years ago. The Vigil suggests that Western donors should ask for the return of the millions of dollars they contributed for the constitution-making process. It has proved to be a futile project as we have consistently argued since the project was launched in 2009. Lawyer Matshobana Ncube commenting on Zanu PF’s intention to amend the constitution to give the President control of the judiciary says: ‘The writing of the Constitution and the huge amounts of money that was spent in that regard was all a waste of time and resources. All were taken for a ride, the ruling party never wanted constitutional reform and as such they have embarked on a path to undo all that the people of Zimbabwe did in writing a new governance charter for themselves’ (see: https://www.newsday.co.zw/2017/01/04/appointment-chief-justice-zim-ugly-monstrosity-politics-involved/).
- The UK Daily Telegraph newspaper has published lengthy article about the dispossessed farmer Ben Freeth, a friend of the Vigil, which paints a bleakpicture of the present situation on his old farm (see: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/07/white-zimbabwean-farmer-ben-freeth-returned-farm-eight-years/).
- Thanks to those who arrived early to help set up: Rashiwe Bayisayi, Elizabeth Chakachaka, Patrick Chatukuta, Benjamin Chigamba, Flemming Diza, Nomusa Dube, Sibongile Gumbo, Jean Kawara, Fungayi Mabhunu, Emmanuel Magarira, Phillip Mahlahla, Nancy Makurira, Rosemary Maponga, Gladys Meck, Sharon Moyo, Tinotenda Mrewa, Lloyd Mudzengerere, Lucia Mudzimu, Roseline Mukucha, Alfredy Mukuvare, Beverley Mutandiro, Nontokozo Ncube, Mduduzi Ndlovu, Chipo Parirenyatwa,Newman Richard, Jennipher Sabe, Maxmus Savanhu, Alice Shimika, Douglas Tavengwa and Maureen Tavengwa. Thanks to Roseline, Sharon and Gladys for looking after the front table, to Chipo, Nontokozo, Nomusa, Rosemary, Simbarashe Mutero and Cathrine Musa for handing out flyers and selling wristbands and to Phillip, Alfredy, Benjamin, Mduduzi and Douglas for putting up the banners and tarpaulin and to Phillip for taking down the banners at the end of the Vigil.
- Bev Mutandiro led prayers at the Vigil. She asked that Bible verses 8-9 from 2 Peter 3 be recorded on the diary: But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slackconcerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
For latest Vigil pictures check: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/. Please note: Vigil photos can only be downloaded from our Flickr website. The facebook page for our sister organisation Restoration of Human Rights in Zimbabwe (ROHR) (https://www.facebook.com/ROHR-Zimbabwe-Restoration-of-Human-Rights-301811392835) has been hijacked by destructive elements from a group calling itself ZHRO. Please be advised that any postings on this page are not posted by ROHR.
FOR THE RECORD: 55 signed the register.
EVENTS AND NOTICES:
- Swaziland Vigil. Saturday 21st January from 10 am to 1 pm outside the Swaziland High Commission, 20 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6LB.
- Monthly Itai Dzamara protest Saturday 11th February. From 2 – 6 pm outside the Zimbabwe Embassy. The protest is to mark twenty-three months since Itai’s abduction by intelligence agents.
- Zimbabwe Action Forum (ZAF) meets regularly after the Vigil to discuss ways to help those back in Zimbabwe to fight oppression and achieve true democracy.
- The Restoration of Human Rights in Zimbabwe (ROHR) is the Vigil’s partner organization based in Zimbabwe. ROHR grew out of the need for the Vigil to have an organization on the ground in Zimbabwe which reflected the Vigil’s mission statement in a practical way. ROHR in the UK actively fundraises through membership subscriptions, events, sales etc to support the activities of ROHR in Zimbabwe. Please note that the official website of ROHR Zimbabwe is http://www.rohrzimbabwe.org/. Any other website claiming to be the official website of ROHR in no way represents us.
- Zimbabwe Yes We Can Movement holds meetings in London as the political face of ROHR and the Vigil.
- Zimbabwe Vigil Highlights 2015 can be viewed on this link: http://www.zimvigil.co.uk/vigil-news/campaign-news/746-zimbabwe-vigil-highlights-2015. Links to previous years’ highlights are listed on 2015 Highlights page.
- Facebook pages:
Vigil: https://www.facebook.com/zimbabwevigil
ZAF: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Zimbabwe-Action-Forum-ZAF/490257051027515
The Vigil, outside the Zimbabwe Embassy, 429 Strand, London, takes place every Saturday from 14.00 to 18.00 to protest against gross violations of human rights in Zimbabwe. The Vigil which started in October 2002 will continue until internationally-monitored, free and fair elections are held in Zimbabwe. http://www.zimvigil.co.uk.
