If this can happen at a SADC conference, how can we possibly have any faith in them giving responsible oversight to a Zimbabwean election:

SADC Lawyers Association Condemns the Harassment of Civil Society Representatives by Zimbabwean State Security Agents at the SADC Extraordinary Summit In Windhoek

The SADC Lawyers Association is appalled by the harassment of civil society organizations’ representatives at the SADC Extraordinary Summit in Windhoek on 20 May 2011 by Zimbabwean state security agents accompanied by Namibian police officers. Various members of civil society organizations from Zimbabwe and the region were at the Summit to highlight their concerns on issues that were on the summit agenda, including the crisis in Zimbabwe and the future of the SADC Tribunal.

The Civil Society Organizations held meetings and press conferences in various venues in Windhoek to highlight their concerns. At the venue of the Summit, Safari Court Hotel, some Zimbabwean state security agents who refused to identify themselves targeted Zimbabwe National Association of Non Governmental Organisations (NANGO) chairperson Dadirai Chikwengo, Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition officials MacDonald Lewanika, Pedzisayi Ruhanya and Dewa Mavhinga and other representatives of the Zimbabwe Election Support Network who were distributing statements with civil society demands to the summit. They were taken away from the hotel by the Namibian police under the watchful eye of the Zimbabwean state security agents. This was despite the fact that ZANU PF youths, led by one Nguni were allowed to freely distribute glossy booklets titled “Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) and the Culture of Violence” without any interference from either the Namibian Police or the Zimbabwe state security agents.

The SADC Lawyers’ Association Executive Secretary Makanatsa Makonese, Executive Director of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights Irene Petras, Lloyd Kuvheya of the Southern Africa Litigation Centre and Joy Mabhenge of the Institute for a Democratic Alternative in Zimbabwe were also targeted whilst holding a meeting at the Safari Court Hotel. They were taken from the hotel into the parking area by armed police officers and interrogated by aggressive Zimbabwe state security agents for more than an hour. The security agents asked personal questions about the CSO representatives’ addresses in Zimbabwe, villages of origin, who had paid for their tickets to Namibia and where they were staying in Namibia. They also demanded the four’s passports to record their national identity numbers and other identity information.

Another civil society representative Jealousy Mawarire was briefly detained for taking pictures whilst a car that was being used by Dewa Mavhinga was confiscated. Both Mawarire and the car were only released after the intervention of Namibian human rights lawyer Norman Tjombe. The SADC Lawyers Association is dismayed that the Zimbabwe state security agents continue to behave as a law unto themselves, even on foreign land. To this end the Association supports the call made by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights on 20 May 2011 for the reform of the Zimbabwean security sector as enunciated in the Zimbabwe Global Political Agreement. It is sad that the Namibian police officials allowed themselves to be used by these agents to harass harmless and peaceful civil society organization representatives who had not committed any offence. The Government of Zimbabwe, state security agents in that country and SADC Governments are reminded that civil society organizations and individual citizens have a right to be heard and to participate in issues that affect how they are governed.

Issued for and on behalf of the SADC Lawyers Association
By Thoba Poyo-Dlwati
President
23 May 2011.

Listen to excerpts from this interview here

Zimbabwe stands on the brink of change. Much has been made of the winds of the Arab Spring possibly being blown across Southern Africa, and in particular, in Zimbabwe. While there have been attempts at seeding civil disobedience via social media like Facebook by the born free tech savvy generation, this has failed, largely in part because those who wished to start the revolution were Zimbabweans living in the Diaspora. That is not to say that Zimbabwe’s young adults have given up.

Born in the late1970s and early 80s, the ‘born-free’ generation grew up in a Zimbabwe that had just attained her independence. The country was prosperous, and many black families became socially mobile moving into formerly white only neighbourhoods, schools and spheres of business, creating what became Zimbabwe’s black middle class. Economic opportunities in the new Zimbabwe were numerous, but this came to change after years of poor economic policies, mismanagement and corruption, culminating in the political and economic upheavals of the 2000s. 20 years after Independence, millions of young adults were migrating annually for tertiary education or economic opportunity. It is estimated that up to a quarter of Zimbabwe’s population lives outside of the country.

Lawyer and Human Rights Defender Tafadzwa Mugabe graduated from the University of Zimbabwe in 2002. Having worked with Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, he has been at the forefront of the post independence struggle for democracy.

‘I strongly believe that the past decade has been really sad for our country to the extent that most of our families have been decimated by death or immigration and displacement for one reason or another. And the national psyche is very unstable, characterised by a lot of fear of the government, and I for one do not like that.’

The Zimbabwean state after 2000 became very repressive in an effort to stem criticism. This has resulted in the closing of democratic spaces, traditionally occupied by young adults, who have the energy to bring renewal to the country.  Despite the dire situation many young people find themselves in, they are not without hope for a change in Zimbabwe’s fortunes.

Dzikamai Bere, a social reformist and writer says,

“Now is the time for hope. There are times when you feel that things are hopeless. When you look at the political front you become quite hopeless. I will be blunt: when you look at the church you will also be hopeless because politicians have taken it over. When you look at civil society as well you can despair because the same evils that have befallen the politics of this country are also there. When you look at the media it’s the same. So sometimes you ask yourself where our salvation will come from. In the middle of all this, we the young people of Zimbabwe should not lose hope. We must believe that there is always space for transformation and there is always an opportunity for transformation. Here, now, it will have an effect in the future.”

Like the liberation struggle generation before them, the born free generation has a deep desire to contribute to the fruition of the dream that is Zimbabwe. For Rutendo Mudzamiri, who works with an organisation that encourages the active participation of women in political processes, there is no doubt about what is needed for Zimbabwe to move forward.

“It’s not about party politics anymore. Politicians will be there and politicians will not be there tomorrow, as citizens, as a people we need to be able to unite, we need to be able to speak with one voice on what we want regardless of political affiliation. We are Zimbabweans first. We need to be sure of what we want, we want better education, we want better health. As a nation the things that bring us together are more than the things that really divide us.”

She goes on to say, “as long as we have breath, as a young generation I believe that we can speak with one voice, we can come together, we can join forces, whether you’re in civic society or political parties. Like Ghandi said: ‘be the change that you want to see’. We are the change. The future is in our hands.”

Tafadzwa is also a firm but realistic believer in the future.

“There is great potential. I haven’t realised all my dreams yet, but I remain confident that this is the place for me. I don’t really think about going anywhere else. There are a lot of things I wish I could improve, about myself, about my situation, about my surroundings, but I’m still very optimistic that our time is coming. It’s on the horizon, and we will change what we will be able to change.”

Tafadzwa insists on holding Zimbabwe’s politicians accountable.

“I think there must be a change of mindset. The people that call themselves our leaders are there because of us. It is not a privilege for us to be led by them. As a Zimbabwean there are certain things that I expect from the people that are in a leadership position. There are certain things I should be able to go and freely claim as a right.”

Zimbabwe’s revolution is not going to take the form of those in Egypt and Tunisia. It is going to be a quiet one that involves a change in attitude, the engagement of compassion and small acts of resistance. Young adults are at the forefront of this movement; refusing to let a generation that is past it’s time to continue to renege on the promise of Independence.

According to the statement from the ZLHR below, the pastor and 26 mourners who were arrested last week have been granted bail. The whereabouts of the vuvuzela remain unknown.

27 mourners granted bail

Harare Magistrate Reward Kwenda on Tuesday 24 May 2011 granted bail to 27 residents of Kuwadzana and Marlborough suburbs of Harare, who were arrested last week on their way from the burial of their relative and charged with public violence for allegedly assaulting some ZANU PF supporters and some new farmers.

Magistrate Kwenda freed the mourners after their lawyers Gift Mtisi of Musendekwa and Mtisi Legal Practitioners and Tarisai Mutangi of Donsa-Nkomo and Mutangi Legal Practitioners, who are members of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights applied for bail when they appeared in court on Monday 23 May 2011.

State Prosecutor Sidom Chinzete opposed the bail application and argued that the nature of the offence committed was serious and that the release of the mourners on bail would endanger the safety of the public.

But Magistrate Kwenda threw out the State’s assertions and ruled that the interests of justice will not be prejudiced by the admission of the accused persons to bail.

The Magistrate ordered the 27 mourners to deposit $20, continue residing at their given residential addresses and not to interfere with State witnesses.

The 27 mourners who include Pastor Dominic Dziwedziwe (36) of Kuwadzana, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Harare Province Vice-chairperson Shakespeare Mukoyi were arrested on Thursday 19 May 2011 and charged with contravening section 36 (1) (a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23 while coming from burying the body of an MDC activist Jack Ndeketeya at Granville cemetery, who had passed away early last week.

Three (3) Consultant vacancies with UNDP
Deadline: 1 June 2011

The United Nations Development Programme would like to invite suitably qualified candidates to fill the below positions financed through a grant from The Global Fund, to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM)

1. 7010: Consultant for the development of Phase 2 of Capacity Development Plan (Global Fund R8)

2. 7011: Consultant for the Development of Human Resources strategy and plans for the National TB Program

3. 7012: Consultant for facilitation of workshops for Health Services Board

The programme is implemented by UNDP Zimbabwe Office in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare in Zimbabwe.

Interested candidates should visit and download the detailed Terms of Reference here for their further action and submission of application letters.

Mass Public Opinion Institute Public Seminar

Topic: Elections Roadmap: Hopes and Fears
Venue: New Ambassador Hotel, Harare
Date: Thursday, 26 May 2011
Time: 17:30 to 20:00 hours

Speakers:
1. Hon Douglas Mwonzora: MDC-T National Spokesperson and House of Assembly Member for Nyanga North
2. Hon David Coltart: Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture and MDC Senator for Khumalo Constituency
3. Pastor Trevor Maisiri: Executive Director, Africa Reform Institute
4. Mavambo/Khusile/Dawn Representative (To Confirm)

Chairperson: Mr. Herbert Ndoma
Admission: Free – All Are Welcome!

For further enquiries please contact Mass Public Opinion Institute: 771358/758700 Cell: +263 772 100 409

Police clearance has been granted

‘Could it be that public opinion is “the missing link” in the democracy debate in Zimbabwe, and indeed, in Africa today?’