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Tuesday, 19 April 2022

ZIMBABWE NOT YET INDEPENDENT

18th April 2022

By Alvina Chibhamu

Following the arduous 37 years Zimbabweans endured under the rule of Mugabe, they were hopeful of a new dispensation under the new President in 2017.

Since ED Mnangagwa took office in 2018, (do not hold your breath for this one as it’s no surprise) he has only implemented 5 out of 283 projects he pledged in the manifesto and his other policy pronouncements.

43 were commenced, 6 remain broken and 184 are still “in progress”.

Mnangagwa and his ZANU-PF government have underperformed and Zimbabwe has been plunged into further misery. Zimbabwe lands itself a fast leader in the “worst of everything”. 

It has one of the worst; inflation rates, human rights record & rule of law, corruption.

A captured judiciary system, a collapsed healthcare, transport and education system, all which are further crippling the future of Zimbabwe. Be the change you want to see.

There’s nothing to celebrate here, there is no such thing as an Independent Zimbabwe yet.

#RegisterToVoteZW

#WeAreNotIndependentZW

About the author;-

Alvina Chibhamu is a human rights activist and a member of Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR) Zimbabwe’s UK Chapter. She is based in the United Kingdom and can be contacted by email on alvina80@yahoo.com

 

Olivia Chamboko - #WeAreNotIndependent

18 April 2022

What is there to celebrate when Itai Dzamara is still missing 7 years later, and the perpetrators of his abduction have not yet been brought to justice?
What is there to celebrate when the soldiers who killed people in the streets of Harare on 1st August 2018 are still walking scot-free?
What is there to celebrate when the Zanu-PF thugs who killed Mboneni Ncube are not in prison? 

What independence when we have no freedom in our own country? What independence when we have no justice in our own country? What independence when we have no democracy in our own country? 

No Yet Uhuru πŸ’” πŸ‡ΏπŸ‡Ό 

They can have all the festivities they want but this land we call Zimbabwe is not yet free. Yes, we won independence from British colonial rule but we are still to be free from ZANU PF oppression.

The words of Father Zimbabwe Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo ring loudest on a day like this, he said "The hardest lesson of my life has come to me late. It is that a nation can win freedom without its people becoming free."

The fight for a genuinely independent Zimbabwe continues unabated.

 About the author;-

Olivia Chamboko is a human rights activist and a member of Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR) Zimbabwe’s UK Chapter. She is based in the United Kingdom and can be contacted by email on chambokoolivia@yahoo.co.uk







Monday, 18 April 2022

How dare you say "HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY ZIMBABWE"?

18th April 2022

By Magadaline (Maggy) Moyo

When my sister Nomsa Tshuma witnessed the painful death of her husband, Elvis Nyathi, a fate she herself narrowly escaped, at the hands of rogue South Africans simply because he was a foreigner that supposedly took their job whilst there are no jobs in Zimbabwe. 

When we watched that Video of Elvis Nyathi being burnt alive to ashes by heartless South Africans simply because he had left Zimbabwe out of desperation. When lack of opportunities due to the dire economic situation caused by an uncaring and unprincipled government that pursues distractive policies and a narrow agenda that benefits only an elite few and their surrogates at the expense of the general citizenry forced him to seek a livelihood elsewhere.

Elvis Nyathi, like millions other Zimbabwean emigrants decided to take a job that most South Africans deemed demeaning because he knew the struggles back home. To him this was his Gold.

Now you are telling me “Happy #### 42yrs…”

How is my sister Nomsa Tshuma and her four children going to heal from the trauma of watching that Video of Elvis Nyathi being burnt alive to ashes in South Africa when in Zimbabwe we don't have such basics as just a simple running clinic with Paracetamol let alone mental health facilities?

42 Years of “independence” and Elvis's children are not attending school for lack of school fees. His eldest child wrote his O-Level exams but was denied his results simply because the family had not paid his school fees. Elvis Nyathi’s 14yr old child dropped out of school to herd cattle and the last-born could not attend school, both because the family could not afford school fees.

42 Years of pain and suffering!! 

42 Years of overcrowded prison walls of innocent people who speak against human rights atrocities!! 

42 Years of our youths turning to Crystal meth and other harmful substances to numb the pains of being orphans to HIV AIDS and other easily manageable health conditions and living in hopelessly dire poverty!!

42 Years of the pain experienced by oppressed women whose husbands are kidnapped and made to disappear in thin air by a rogue State because they dare speak out against the oppressive regime!!

 

42 Years of many children like Anna a.k.a Memory Machaya losing their lives during child birth because of forced marriages!!

 

42 Years of the pain of Gugurahundi victims who lost parents, brothers and sisters and even denied a memorial stone to console themselves and the pain they have felt after losing almost 20 000 people at the hands of specially trained army brigade!!


42 Years of seeing the likes of Marry Mubaiwa being dragged to before the Zanu-PF courts whilst on her death bed despite being someone who once was a partner of and has children with a Vice President!!

 

YOU SAID 42 YEARS? Do you fathom the pain felt by Sylvia Maphosa's children after their mother was killed by Zimbabwean army at age 52 whilst coming from work.

 

42 Years that include the pain of losing the likes of the Dzamara brothers, Itai and Patson who died fighting for a truly independent Zimbabwe!!

 

42 Years of dictatorship, 42 Years of tears of Zimbabwean children. 42 Years of being insulted as youth that we are not capable to lead Zimbabwe!!

About the author;-
Magadaline (Maggy) Moyo is a human rights activist and a member of Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR) Zimbabwe’s UK Chapter. She is also the Coordinator of These Walls Must Fall Campaign in Manchester and works with various grass root organisations fighting for social justice and promoting the welfare of the girl child in Southern Africa. She is based in the United Kingdom and can be contacted by email on nombuso430@gmail.com

Nontokozo Malaba Ncube - #WeAreNotIndependent

 18 April 2022

Zimbabwe has not tasted independence for 42 years.

As we salute comrades who sacrificed their lives to liberate Zimbabwe, today we cry the misery and despair of suffering and oppression under an authoritarian regime ZANUPF that has left many perishing in abject poverty amidst slave wages, poor medical care and zero employment.  Those who raise voices suffer arbitrary arrests, harassment and torture.

#WeAreNotIndependent 

#ZimbabweanLivesMatter

Written By
Nontokozo Malaba Ncube
ROHR Zimbabwe
 
About the author;-
Nontokozo Malaba Ncube is a human rights activist and a member of Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR) Zimbabwe’s UK Chapter. She is also a member of the opposition CCC. She is based in the United Kingdom and can be contacted by email on nmncube44408@gmail.com

Vengai Mutsawu - #WeAreNotIndependentZW


18 April 2022

Zimbabwe turns 42years today 18April 2022, Zimbabweans are celebrating this so-called Independence Day. I find myself disoriented and struggling to understand what exactly there is to celebrate. What does it mean to be Independent?

The Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) has dominated politics since taking over power from colonial rule in 1980. ZANU-PF for the past 42 years has retained power through vote rigging and violent crackdown on political opposition parties, critical media, and other sources of dissent. Zimbabwe’s status declined from Partly Free to Not Free due to the ZANU-PF government intensifying persecution of opposition figures and civic activists. Despite President Emmerson Mnangagwa repeatedly voicing his commitments to human rights reforms, Zimbabwe remained highly intolerant of basic rights, peaceful dissent and freedom of expression.


 Several civic society activists, opposition political leaders and other critics of the government are being arrested, beaten or tortured for simply exercising their constitutional rights of holding the government to account for their actions through peaceful demonstrations.

Zimbabweans are not yet free, therefore it is meaningless to celebrate Independence’s Day. This is the reason why Zimbabweans are scattered all over the world, we are running away from the oppressive government of Emmerson Mnangagwa.

#WeAreNotIndependentZw

#ZanuPfMustGo

By Vengai Mutsawu

About the author

Vengai Mutsawu is a  Zimbabwean human rights activist and he is also the Branch Chairperson for the North Branch of the UK Chapter of ROHR Zimbabwe. He writes in his personal capacity in this instance. 

 

 

Saturday, 16 April 2022

Sheilla Mironga #JusticeForMarryChiwenga Campaign

 16 April 2022

Every human being needs respect and the Zimbabwe government should protect women's rights. Mary Chiwenga is human like everybody else and has the basic right to be treated fairly, regardless of her personal issues. Women organisations and other human rights representatives' silence was immense towards the injustice of the Zimbabwean courts when she collapsed, crashed her head unfit to attend court, during the battle between the ex-husband Constantine Chiwenga in court on their children's custody case. She had suffered enough, Zanu PF is protecting Mary's ex-husband because of his high office position and power which shows signs of prejudice and unjust behaviour , manipulating the police and judiciary. 

I am encouraging  Zimbabwean women to come together to fight this injustice and the first lady of Zimbabwe should not be a partisan but a representative of every woman regardless of their status within our communities. The Zimbabwean government is portraying a good picture to the world that things are improving or evolving, yet those in higher rankings are abusing their supreme governing power. As a woman, a Zimbabwean citizen please take a moment and think about the mental state of Mary's children and their wellbeing, about how their mother is being subjected to negative comments being posted on a daily basis. How can the Zimbabwean justice system be biased towards the citizens it's supposed to protect.

 The Ministry of Justice Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Ziyambi Ziyambi attended the 49th session of Human Rights in March stating that the government is putting efforts to 'promote and protect the human rights for all our people'. Yet they do not follow the rule of law, high level of discrimination, protection of powerful members of government for example ex-husband of Mary Chiwenga. It is through public votes why they are in offices, instead ministers are serving personal interest at the expense of the ordinary person on the street. 

Mary Chiwenga life matter as a Zimbabwean, 

l stand in solidarity with women in fighting to eliminate physical, emotional and financial abuse happening in Zimbabwe. 

#JusticeForMarryChiwenga

About the author

Sheilla Mironga is a  Zimbabwean human rights activist and She is also the Organizing Secretary for the South Branch of the UK Chapter of ROHR Zimbabwe. She writes in her personal capacity in this instance.

Saturday, 9 April 2022

ROHR ZIMBABWE AT THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MIKE CAMPBELL FOUNDATION IN LONDON – WEDNESDAY 30TH MARCH 2022

 31st March 2022

Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR) Zimbabwe was represented at the 10th Anniversary of the Mike Campbell Foundation event in London by Nontokozo Malaba Ncube and Magadaline (Maggy) Moyo, both members of ROHR Zimbabwe’s Information & Publicity sub-committee.

The event took place on Wednesday 30th March 2022 from 7pm to 9pm at The Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR.

The Mike Campbell Foundation (MCF) fights for the restoration of the rule of law, justice, human rights and property rights for all in Zimbabwe.

The Keynote speaker at the event was none other than the evergreen Chief Felix Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni.

Other speakers included Baroness Kate Hoey, a member of the first British Parliamentary delegation to Zimbabwe and was once the Chairperson of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Zimbabwe and Ben Freeth MBE, the Executive Director of the MCF’s projects in Zimbabwe, himself a victim of the violent takeover of white owned commercial farms and property in Zimbabwe in the early 2000s.

The ROHR Zimbabwe representatives, Nontokozo Malaba Ncube and Maggy Moyo used the occasion to interact and exchange ideas with Chief Felix Ndiweni, Baroness Kate Hoey and other individuals and organizations with vested interest in the affairs of Zimbabwe.

For some of the pictures taken at the event follow this link.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/rohr_zimbabwe__manchester/albums/72177720297982181

By: Information & Publicity Department
Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR) Zimbabwe