Zimbabwean activists hold Candlelit Vigil at embassy in London
Zimbabwean activists converged at the Zimbabwean embassy in London on Saturday for a Candlelit Vigil, organized by Sharon Moyo and Simbarashe Mutero, members of the MDC Youth Assembly in UK and Ireland.
The aim of the Vigil was to commemorate activists abducted by the state such as Itai Dzamara and others who remain undocumented. The vigil was also about remembering those still undergoing persecution under Mugabe’s draconian leadership.
The organisers told Nehanda Radio “we wanted to show our gratitude as Zimbabweans that we support their endeavours as they are fighting to bring the change every Zimbabwean is yearning for.
Simbarashe Mutero pointed out that “The lives of those abducted and the sufferings of those undergoing persecution from this rogue regime should not be in vain. We should form a united front as Zimbabweans so as to bring down Mugabe’s tyrannical regime.”
Scores of Zimbabwean citizens turned up with the same agenda in mind to voice their gratitude towards the activists who are being beaten, jailed, tortured and abducted for exercising their right to freely express themselves in a country that was deemed an independent democratic country in 1980.
“This shows the hypocrisy of Mugabe when he calls out that Zimbabwe will never be a colony again yet we have been colonized in every sense by this deluded nonagenarian president. There was an overwhelmingly general consensus amongst the gathered activists that, “To save Zimbabwe, Mugabe has to go.”
These very sentiments were also echoed by the global community who passed through the candlelit vigil showing their support.
Nicholas and Katherine a couple from South Africa stressed that Mugabe’s removal from power has been long overdue and they commended the efforts of the activists both abroad and at home who are working tirelessly to remove “this dictatorial government in Southern Africa.”
One of the protesters said “We do not know how it feels to have a new president and said that the International community should see the gross human rights violations taking place in Zimbabwe.
The general feeling amongst the crowd was somber when one of the organizers Sharon Moyo burst into a mellow song “Senzenina,” which is translated into Shona as “tatadzeiko” in English meaning “what have we done to deserve this.”
She went on to state that “Zimbabweans have suffered long enough and deserves someone who stands and cares for its citizens”.
This brought out a wave of emotion as protesters were remembering their families back home who are subjected “to this corrupt government every day.”
Rose Benton of the Zimbabwe Vigil said that the “event was a success as it was the opportune moment to conduct the event given the horrible events that have occurred in Zimbabwe the past year”.
