A MEETING is taking place in London next week to support a growing grassroots movement of Zimbabweans who are questioning the legitimacy of the forthcoming election (March 29).
DATE: Thursday 27 March
TIME: 7.30PM
VENUE The Arbour Youth Centre 100 Shandy Street Stepney, London ED1 4ST
The People’s Convention attracted nearly 4,000 participants at a recent meeting in Harare which produced a People’s Charter affirming the basic rights to food, education and health care, etc. that are currently denied to ordinary Zimbabweans.
The movement, which has had virtually no publicity outside of Zimbabwe, includes civic groups, churches, trade unions and others. They feel that neither the ruling Zanu-PF party nor the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) offers any real opportunity for the sort of fundamental change that is needed to address the dire social conditions most Zimbabweans are experiencing.
“The People’s Convention is run by groups like WOZA, or Women of Zimbabwe Arise, who’ve got thousands of members. They’ve been protesting against things like massive education and food prices rises practically on a daily basis,” says Oasis Mastara, a Zimbabwean living in London. She added, “Earlier this month, the police attacked a WOZA protest and 50 women were seriously injured.But I’ve seen no mention in the press over here.”
The Convention is a successor to a similar meeting convened in 1999 that led to the formation of the MDC and is supported by organisations and individuals disaffected with that party. This/next week’s London meeting is being organised by Zimbabwean organisations in the UK to mobilise wider support for their campaign.
One of the key messages is that before any truly democratic elections can take place the country needs a new constitution. The Convention argues that a people–driven constitution like their People’s Charter is necessary to make sure any elected government runs the country to benefit its people, not just its rulers
FILM TO BE SHOWN
A film of the Zimbabwe People's Convention will be shown. Speakers and Music (bring your CDs - and remember to label them with your name + telephone number). Food will be on sale at reasonable prices. Bring your own non-alcoholic drinks only (as venue is used by non-alcohol drinking communities).
Decay, Mexico • na.com Subject: jobs! jobs! jobs! Wed, 19 Mar 2008 09:34:20 • If I decide to dig up my 10ft x 10ft plot and put seeds in and start a vegetable garden I will potentially be creating employment.
Eventually I will find that selling my vegetables is going to help my lifestyle so I will need: (1) to employ a Night Watchman to care for my vested interest in the food chain, (2) somedays I will be too sick to work, so I will then employ a gardener to help me.
My 10ft x 10ft eventually becomes too small and I will need to buy more land until eventually I employ more people and, before I know it, I am a commercial farmer! You have to start somewhere.
Its no good starting off immediately wanting to be a commercial farmer if you dont have the know-All and the finances.
george bachinche • bachinche@mail.com Subject: misguided Wed, 19 Mar 2008 01:44:22 • Another misguided lot. The current issue is the election. Questioning its legitimacy is silly. There was discussion last year when Mugabe wanted to postpone the elections to 2010 to harmonise the presidential and parliamentary elections. All side to the equation cried foul..including in his own party.
If anything the elections are legitimate becuase they are within the parliamentary term which was supposed to expire in 2010. However the presidential term was coming to an end, this very March. Yes the elections are in order.
Zimbabwe should have a clear understanding of the definition of human rights. All human beiing has needs, that include food, education, shelter etc. The question is who should provide that. If WOZA specialise in demonstrating, even during the rainy season, Monday to Monday each day include Sunday, who produces. Education is an entitlement but who provides the resources. The ZANU PF educated Mutambara and his lot free at the UZ, but what did these people plough in return.
The demand people should be making is that we want do do this and that, can governmnet help, and not to say we want jobs...what jobs, rese rese. One can not demand none existing jobs.Unemployment is the reality of an underperforming economy. Jobs is teh public sector fall when the government does not have a good revenue base. Industry has failed to expand since independence.
Arthur Gwagwa • arthurgwagwa@yahoo.com Subject: Good idea Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:49:44 • This is a good idea. I hope that the convention also goes beyond protesting but begin to do something on the ground to improve social conditions of ordinary Zimbabweans. While it is important to hold politicians accountable through protests etc , we must also be careful that politicians do not set our agendas by reacting to them. But as we begin to be proactive doing tangible things on the ground , we can set our own agenda. As mother Theresa said, we must not wait for leaders but do it alone , person to person. One good thing that you can do is to ensure that you dont sponsor lavish parsonage lifstyles in your churches but instead channel that money towards worthy sustainable causes. Keep up the good work.
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