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- Written by: Cannicious Nkala, Chief Ndiweni and John Burke
- Category: UK
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Another great day to deliver a petition to the Prime Minister! An Update to Our 4th December Article {HERE}
We congregated outside the newly "secured" Zimbabwe Embassy - they have got some grim looking metal security gated fabrications at the side and front entrances - to make the Embassy even less friendly or appealing to the Zimbabwean Diaspora - security concerns or Guilt? - we have to ask why these new gates - {photo on Flickr - click to see for yourself SIDE DOOR - 429 CORNER DOOR }.
True to form the guilty inside locked their doors - simply as we were there. Indeed they sent out a CIO to sit in his new BMW X6 to "observe us" - so we took their photos too - again on our Flickr Album of the day. {CLICK HERE TO SEE THE DAYS PHOTO ALBUM} Please note that due to technical constraints, the videos recorded today will take some considerable time to be 'compressed' in order to be displayed upon our Flickr Platform - so expect videos to be appearing by the weekend please.
We took some more photos with our "Zanu PF Must Go" banner and by 13:30 we sidled off towards Trafalgar Square and onto Whitehall. by 13:45 we were arranged opposite Downing Street - under the gaze of "Monty" at his commemorative statue. By the time we have said our hellos to the new supporters opposite Downing Street it was time to present our band of 6 petitioners to the Diplomatic Police Unit in control of Downing Street. Ronald T Mutumbi, was due to be the Organiser of the 6 of us today - but had 'last minute' travel problems which prevented his attendance.
So we 6 lined up at the solid security gates {making the Zimbabwean Embassy gates looking a little flimsy!} at the entrance to Downing Street. Our Police Diplomatic Unit Escort - was a friendly as any tourist guide - calling us in by our first names! As some may know within those gates we have to go through Air Port Quality X-Ray machines to check all our bags, mobile phones or any metal objects.
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- Written by: Richard Gandari, M S Nkomo and other Groups in the UK
- Category: UK
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5th December 2024 at 14:00 to the Office of the UK Prime Minister, {READ or DOWNLOAD the Delivered Petition CLICK HERE}
Also by e-mail and post to The FCDO, the Commonwealth Secretariat in London and UN (OHCHR) Geneva
Some may know this as the Gukurahundi Genocide - but the Shona word of 'Gukurahundi' cannot ever convey the horrors and 'pure psychotic outrage' conducted sometime from 1983 (approx.) to 1987 when - due to this violent and heartless pressure the leader of ZAPU at that time Dr Joshua Nkomo, reluctantly agreed to subsume ZAPU into the newly created ZANU PF - laughingly termed the "UNITY ACCORD".
A lesson in violence and deceit that still haunts Zimbabwe to this day - as well as being an ongoing strategy of the Zanu PF regime ever since - and now continued by the complicit (in the genocide} E D Mnangagwa.
But returning to the word "GUKURAHUNDI" - the literal meaning, which loosely translates to "the early rain which washes away the chaff before the spring rains". However this can never represent the inhuman genocide which took place - instigated by Mugabe to enforce a one-party State.
The Beginnings
Identifying as a member or supporter of ZAPU became a death wish.
Under the then Prime Minister, Robert Mugabe, a caveat was promulgated, outlawing ZAPU and forfeiting all its properties to the State. Some of the properties belonged to ZPRA, the armed wing of ZAPU during the liberation struggle. Everything was seized and forfeited to the state. Dr Joshua Nkomo was persecuted and hounded into exile. His lieutenants, the late Dr Dumiso Dabengwa and the late Commander Lookout Masuku were thrown into Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison on trumped up charges.
Just like in East Germany in 1990, it has been four decades of denial and deafening silence.
The Evidence Slowly Emerging {Still}
But now, the new light is being shed on these days of horror. Thousands of historical documents that appear to expose the perpetrators are now becoming available in a raft of foreign archival collections. The documents are wide-ranging and include, among others, diplomatic correspondence, intelligence assessments and raw intelligence garnered by spies recruited from within the Zimbabwean government. These papers—augmented by the testimony of Zimbabwean witnesses finding courage in old age—appear to substantiate what survivors and scholars have always suspected but never been able to validate: Mugabe, then Prime Minister, was the prime architect of mass killings that were well-planned and systematically executed.
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- Written by: Richard Gandari, M S Nkomo and other Groups in the UK
- Category: UK
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Update: 24th October 2024: Last minute {early hours @2:30 am} additions to both petitions and now links to Read/Download from here: 13:30 Injustice Petition: READ/DOWNLOAD HERE
14:30 Maternal Deaths Petition: READ/DOWNLOAD HERE
Later today {or this evening} we will do a new article to log the day's events, photographs and reactions - WATCH THIS SPACE
Update: 23rd October 2024: We have nearly completed both written Petition Documents, ready for tomorrow's Pair of Petitions! In doing so we have had contact with the President of ZAPU, Mr Michael Sibangilizwe Nkomo, the son of Joshua Nkomo. ZAPU are a well established party {est 1963} who pre-date the ZANU PF, and were pivotal in the quest for independence - as granted in 1980.
President Nkomo has written a moving and heart-felt piece about both of our Petition - and we will be quoting these in each Petition Document at the hand over on Thursday 24th October 2024.
See President Michael Sibangilizwe Nkomo - web article here: https://zapu.org/the-rogue-regime-in-harare-now-a-regional-threat-to-sadc.html
Update: 22nd October 2024: Whilst Zanu PF rides 'rough-shod' over Human Rights, the Rule of Law AND the constitution, other external agencies have thrown down a challenge to expose their unparallel level of crimes within and without Zimbabwe. The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders on the 21st October 2024, Published their report AND the Zanu PF response - for their {Zanu PF} pages and pages of verbage only ONE PARAGRAPH - encapsulated their utter contempt and refusal to face facts - here we quote it verbatim:
"Government {Zanu PF regime response} has also noted the disturbing pattern by some non-state actors to deliberately and mischievously cause anarchy particularly, ahead of major international events, in order to discredit the Government. These unlawful actions, have become sources of unverified information which, unfortunately, are authoritatively used as the basis of allegations of human rights violations against Zimbabwe."
So, its everybody else's fault, and it's all unproven!! Typical Zanu PF response! Blind to reality of their Corruption and Crimes
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- Written by: John Burke
- Category: UK
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Lovingly entitled, "Zanu PF Fool's Day"; the 1st April 2023 at the Zimbabwe Embassy was the initiation of the campaign to expose the criminality at the heart of the Zanu PF regime. The Zanu PF regime has held Zimbabwe, as a nation "hostage" for far too long - 43 years this April 18th in fact. [Full image log on ZHRO Flickr CLICK HERE ]
Those brave few present, coming from as far away as Manchester, Coventry, Northampton, Gosport and Littlehampton, were there to "represent" all Zimbabweans who have been utterly disenfranchised by the Zanu PF regime back in Zimbabwe. That's not to say that many more within the UK diaspora should have been present - and the 18th April 2023 Demonstration {at the Embassy} and Petition {to 10 Downing Street, home of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak} will prove the depth for feeling personified by #GoldMafia and other criminality by the regime.
The numbers attending will always be a big factor when presenting a proposal and petition to the British - they are very much 'swayed' by the numbers - as they perceive "Voter Recognition" of an event or situation, that must be acted upon. The same is very true for pushing for democratic and humanitarian action to be promoted by the British within their sphere of influence, at both the UK Embassy in Harare AND on the International Stage. Here in the United Kingdom the Zimbabwean Diaspora has huge potential to assist those trapped by the regime in Zimbabwe. It is up to the diaspora to stand up and be counter {as the expression goes} and in this case literally too!
In November 2017 - the 18th November in fact: CLICK HERE to remember that day, the Hopes and Dreams for a Democratic Zimbabwe were Born - but now those dreams are left in tatters, as the nightmare began on that day inside the regimes psychotic imagination. Fast forward to March 2023 and the pre-launch of the Gold Mafia {at that time without a title - but certainly about corruption} many were apprehensive, most about an expose, but within the regime -'concern'.
Now the regime has gone past "concern" now it's {initially} ignoring it, but now the propaganda psychopaths have decided to "question" 2 years of under-cover research and 'stings' and to de-legitimise #Gold Mafia.
But it's too late, the die has been cast, actions have been taken, the crimes are not just limited to within Zimbabwe. The blunder of the 'dunderheads' is that this "externalisation" of looting, money laundering and theft has enveloped the International Crime Agencies and Tax Authorities - and to a big part the "insult" to several sovereign nations who have found themselves a 'party' to criminality. Now this has opened the political ramifications. Already the Tax Authorities in the UK, Congressmen in the USA, are asking questions. Let alone the impacts politically in UK, USA, South Africa and the UAE. The latter are particularly discrete, and those involved in #GoldMafia could find themselves at-risk should they return. The USA, in particular are extremely sensitive to all aspects of money laundering of the USD {the $}, there are also 'questions' that have arisen about pallets of $100 Notes "lost" in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, who is to say that #GoldMafia are involved, but this dark-web of #GoldMafia has significant and very dark undertones.
So returning to the demonstration above, as merely a foretaste of a much larger outpouring of revulsion and disgust - on that cold and windy day. We salute the magnificent attendees and look forward very much to the much larger and far more promoted demonstration on Zanu PF Fool's Independence Day on the 18th April 2023 - 43 years of hurt for the vast majority, and the main part of the huge numbers of the Zimbabwean diaspora.
Be THERE 12:00 Noon Zimbabwe Embassy, Tuesday 18th April 2023 - take the day off work - you could be starting the move to democracy AND the Take 2 Zimbabwe {#Take2Zimbabwe} for INDEPENDENCE! Please note that there is a further idea of a presence at the UAE Embassy, 1-2 Grosvenor Crescent, London, SW1X 7EE; at 10:30am {then, moving back to the Zimbabwe Embassy by 11:30am, so to arrive at the Zimbabwe Embassy by 12 noon} - However, for those travelling a long way, such a time maybe 'problematic' {due to costly peak fare bus or train fares during a weekday} so the default position must be to get to the Zimbabwe Embassy by 12 noon.
- Part One released 23rd March 2023 {View part 1 of 4 here at this link}
- Part Two released 30th March 2023 {View part 2 of 4 here at this link}
- Part Three released 6th April 2023 {View part 3 of 4 here at this link}
- Part Four released 14th April 2023 {View part 4 of 4 here at this link}
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- Written by: ZAPU, CCC, ZHRO, MyRight2Vote, ROHR and Swazi Hon Gaw'zela
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Would you credit it? a train strike today gave us some problems. Especially affected was Washington Ali, trying to get to London from the Isle of Wright! He did get to the Zimbabwe Embassy - but by 15:00. A real victim of the travel disruption. The weather however was 'on-side' - forecast rain - actual sunny which will always life the spirits.
Zimbabwe Embassy Rendezvous
From 11:30 to 13:20 We congregated outside the Zimbabwe Embassy {429 The Strand, London. WC2R 0JR} arriving from all directions, with a travel-tale from many. First we saw, Moses Mbano who had got a great deal of a train fare from Newcastle to Kings Cross. He got to the Embassy at 11:30am. Next was Rashiwe and John after a 4km {exercise} walk from London Bridge Station - since there were no trains running to Charring Cross. Their walk past St Paul's Cathedral and the High Court gave them a great display of London Architectural heritage. They also noted all the tiny side streets with Old Churches, Cobble stone Court Yards and High-End Mercedes with chauffeurs awaiting their corporate Chairmen!
The demostrators had the "Zanu PF Must Go" banner, which was unfurled when they arrived and was shown many times in the photos and videos on the day. It certainly amused the passers-by who were curious as to what it all meant. Many were happy to be informed, but shocked as to the treatment of Job Sikhala. The Zimbabwean Embassy Staff, remained locked in the Embassy, presumeably through embarrassment as to the actions of the regime in Zimbabwe, after all the efforts by the regime's propaganda team to hide all their wrong-doings, violence and continued {apparently State Sanctioned monthly GOLD smuggling operations}!
So after lots of photos, the demonstrators departed just a fraction after 1:20 pm to head towards Whitehall
Swaziland Exiled Contingent
Hon Gaw'zela Twitter Handle @ZelaHon and Former Siphofaneni MP | President of SWALIMO | Advocating For Democratic Reforms In Swaziland came to support the #FreeWiwa demo at the Embassy with 5 of his own supporters. These fine people were gladly welcomed, due to the close relationship between Zimbabwe and Swazi freedom demonstrators here in London - Many times have the Zimbabwe Opposition team have been to the Swazi High Commission near Buckingham Palace.
The Stroll to Whitehall
The group moved off with the "Zanu PF Must Go" Banner on display, down The Strand, past the Charring Cross Railway Station, across Trafalgar Square, and onto Whitehall itself. In good voice, chanting all the way - again piquing the interest of the tourists and Londoner's alike.
Outside Downing Street
When the demonstrators arrived at their preferred meeting place - in front of the statue of General Montgomery, opposite the gated entrance to the short street named Downing Street, Chief Ndiweni was already waiting for tham. This is now day 275 for Job Sikhala behind bars -{We have a chart to monitor thise CLICK HERE}. The Chief, having had a difficult train journey from the East Coast, due, like many, due to the day's Train Strike. Many greetings were exchanged. And due deference was paid to Chief Ndiweni, mainly due to his long standing resistance to the coercion/corruption/overt political influence made by the ruling Zanu PF regime!
Drums, shakers and singing ensued to symbolise the injustices inflicted upon the peoples of Zimbabwe, both at home and in the global diaspora. They also completed the attendance register for all those present, to confirm the day's demonstration and significance for Zimbabweans.