[ROHR Zimbabwe] Restoration of Human Rights UK Midlands Branch Meeting and Fundraising

[ROHR Zimbabwe] Restoration of Human Rights UK Midlands Branch Meeting and Fundraising

DATE: Saturday 6 May 2017

TIME: 1PM - 9PM

VENUE: Monty Hind Youth Centre, Leengate, Nottingham NG7 2LX

ROHR Zimbabwe Midlands Branch Committee Teleconference Meeting Monday 17th April, 2017 (Report)

ROHR Zimbabwe Midlands Branch Committee Teleconference Meeting Monday 17th April, 2017 (Report)

Attendance Register:

Present:

Chairperson: Tsungirirai Kahiya,

Vice Chairperson: Olive Ruvimbo Ruzvidzo, Treasurer: Grace Makoni,

Organising Secretary: Lungile Dlodlo,

Information & Publicity: Chinofunga Ndoga,

Secretary: Nicolate Gwati,

Apologies:

Deputy Information & Publicity: Agnes Mugumbe,

Fundraising Committee Member: Lovemore Patrick Mzondo.

Teleconference Started at: 18:00hrs

Agenda of meeting:

1. Duties of committee members 
2. Communication of committee members
3. Fundraiser to be held in Nottingham on the 6th of May 2017

Issues Discussed 

1. All committee members present were made aware of their roles and responsibilities (duties) so there would be no confusion between each other when carrying out organisational tasks.
2. We discussed on the issue of holding regular committee meetings and due to the distance between committee members (Midlands branch has members of the committee who live in Leicester, Northampton, Coventry and Nottingham) the only solution is to hold meetings by teleconference, however with the aim to at least be able to meet physically once a month at a suitable venue for all.
3. It was also highlighted that if committee members miss 3 meetings they will be stripped of their positions but consideration will be given to extenuating circumstances.
4. It was also raised during the teleconference call that we should plan a ROHR Zimbabwe Midlands Event Calendar in advance. This gives the opportunity for community members in different cities within the Midlands to look for cheap potential venues for holding meetings.
5. It was also highlighted that we do not have a Gender Secretary and we concluded that we would consider filling this post when the need arose
6. We spoke about how we can engage former members of ROHR Zimbabwe residing in the Midlands Region of the United Kingdom to get them back active again.  
7. We spoke about the fundraiser event which would include a barbecue being hosted in Nottingham on the 06th of May 2017.
8. Vice Chairperson Olive Ruvimbo Ruzvidzo pledged to provide all the vegetables required at the fundraiser event.

Action Points:

1. Nicolate Gwati will be responsible for getting in touch with former members of ROHR Zimbabwe to encourage them to attend the fundraiser event on the 06th of May 2017.
2. Chinofunga Ndoga to locate historical member lists to pass onto Nicolate Gwati in order to action point 1 above.
3. Nicolate Gwati to send committee members a photo of the proposed barbecue stand to be used at the fundraiser event
4. Nicolate Gwati to speak the contact at the proposed venue for the fundraiser with the aim of extending the lock up time to 21:00hrs
5. Olive Ruvimbo Ruzvidzo to research on meat prices so the committee can decide on the amount of meat to be bought.

Teleconference Finished at 19:00 hrs.

Compiled by:

Nicolate Gwati

Secretary ROHR Zimbabwe UK Chapter Midlands Branch

Link to Cover Picture

ROHR ZIMBABWE CENTRAL LONDON BRANCH: SATURDAY CONFERENCE.

Date: 1st April 2017
Time: 12:30pm  to   4pm 
Venue:  Royal Festival Hall, Belvedere Rd, South Bank, London SE18XX. 

 All members of ROHR Zimbabwe in UK and those wishing to join us are most welcome.  Come, join, and get important updates on our HUMAN RIGHTS causes and get answers to any questions you may have. 
For any information Please contact the Following members:
Mary Muteyerwa on-07931453232
George Shambela on-07450148701
Pythias Makonese on-07534038908
Paradzai Mapfumo on -07502577789
Delina Mutyambizi on -07975694812
Panyika Karimanzira on - 07538534375

Looking forward to welcoming you all.             

Secretary

ROHR Zimbabwe Central London Branch General Meeting Saturday 4th March, 2017 Report

ROHR Zimbabwe Central London Branch General Meeting Saturday 4th March, 2017 Report

On Saturday 4th March 2017, 9 members of the Central London branch of Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR) Zimbabwe’s UK Chapter, converged at The Royal Festival Hall in central London for a general meeting.   

                                 

Register of attendance

Mary Muteyerwa ( Chairperson), Plaxedes Damiso ( Vice Chairperson), Priscilla Chitsinde ( Co-ordinating Committee Secretary), Kingstone Jambawo ( Deputy Information and Publicity secretary), Pythias Makonese (Information and Publicity secretary) , Mavis Mutanga ( Vice Secretary), Salome Nkiwane ( Committee Member), George Shambela (Secretary), Angela Namatirai Sithole (Fund Raising).

Apologies were received from Chipo Kamhunga, Morella Gertrude Nhau, Tawanda Mawushe, Kuziva Mafaro and Mercy Nyamuka.

The meeting started at 13.30 hrs and was chaired by the branch’s Vice Chairperson, Plaxedes Damiso.

George Shambela, the branch secretary, who is also the Chairperson of the Steering Committee of the UK Chapter of ROHR Zimbabwe took the minutes.

The agenda items for the meeting included, among other things, the evidently worsening human rights situation in Zimbabwe as the country prepares for 2018 elections.

Itai Dzamara commemoration event, organized by the Zimbabwe Citizens Initiative (ZCI) to be held in Manchester on the 11th March 2017, was among the top issues on the agenda. This event was going to be boosted by a drama entitled "Dungeon" to be staged by none other than Silvanos Mudzwova. Also billed to feature at the same event was a documentary on “Gukurahundi”, a genocide that took place in Zimbabwe from the early to late 80’s.

All members were urged to attend this well publicised event. as it is widely publicised. Mary Muteyerwa (Chairperson) asked those wishing to attend to get in contact with her for travel arrangements and other logistics.

Chairing the meeting, Plaxedes Damiso ( Vice Chairperson)  emphatically urged seasoned members to educate and mentor new activists as this was paramount to the furtherance of the overall goal of ROHR Zimbabwe.

The meeting also discussed the need for the branch to acquire equipment such as a computer, printer and other equipment essential for the smooth running of the branch office. Amid a number of pledges from the floor, Mavis Mutanga (Vice Secretary) donated £20 towards this cause.

Pythias Makonese (Information and Publicity Secretary) urged members to embark on a project venture as a branch to alleviate some the problems identified in Zimbabwe - be it in Education, Health, Transport, Agriculture etc. The meeting agreed to go and research so that they could come back with ideas to start on this. Angela Namatirai Sithole (Fund Raiser) echoed these sentiments and also suggested that training be considered.

One of the members shared his experience of detention at Veme Detention Centre in Dorset pending removal from the UK. He explained how he was rescued by the intervention of Panyika Karimanzira and John Burke of ZHRO.

Another item discussed was the commitment of members and their understanding of the history, aims and objectives of ROHR Zimbabwe and the roles of the individual portfolios of committee members. This underlined the evident commitment of the meeting attendees to executing their duties efficiently. Once again Priscilla Chitsinde shared her experience on the matter and stressed that the key to optimum performance in any role was to understand what the role entailed first. She then suggested a starter pack designed to help members who are new in their roles to quickly adapt. It was then recommended that each member be supplied with hard copies of critical ROHR Zimbabwe literature such as the information pack, aims and objectives and deed of donation and trust.

Mary Muteyerwa also reminded new members to keep their membership subscriptions up to date as this was one of the key requirements of membership as per the organization’s Notarial Deed of Donation and Trust which also serves as the constitution of the organization.

George Shambela (Secretary) noted that there was still scope for improvement of some members’ understanding of such important matters as the history of ROHR Zimbabwe (including its founding members and members of its Board of Trustees past and present) as well as its aims and objectives.

Recommendations were made for the discussion and review of this important agenda item in every subsequent meeting so that committee members remained on top of their game when it came to executing their duties.

George Shambela highlighted the need for more resources to effectively carry out the function of the branch. He indicated that in-order to get optimal performance, ROHR central London branch needed a functional office, furnished with the necessary equipment such as a computer and a printer which would cater for the printing of, inter alia, Notices, meeting agendas and minutes, events programmes, correspondence etc..

On AOB, the members agreed to call for emergency teleconferences to address any matters that needed urgent attention and that arose in between scheduled physical meetings.

The meeting also endorsed the call by Salome Nkiwane (Committee Member) for demonstrations and effective activism on social media to be stepped up so as to put pressure on the Mugabe regime and his ZANU-PF.

Priscilla Chitsinde, a member of the standing Coordinating Committee under the Secretariat in the national executive committee of ROHR Zimbabwe’s UK Chapter, shared a lot of her experiences with the members and she encouraged members to maintain personal lively human rights activism in all areas possible, so as to raise awareness of the appalling human rights situation in Zimbabwe

The meeting ended at 16:00 with a closing prayer from Priscilla Chitsinde with the next meeting scheduled for the 1st April 2017.                        

To view pictures taken at the event, click here or follow link below.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/rohr_zimbabwe__manchester/albums/72157677655396993

Published By: Information & Publicity Department

Blog Editor: Petronella Mahachi

Prepared by:  George Shambela- ROHR Zimbabwe Central London Branch Secretary

Cover picture:- https://www.flickr.com/photos/rohr_zimbabwe__manchester/33116093822/in/album-72157677655396993/