By Tererai Karimakwenda
05 July 2005

A noisy group of about 40 Zimbabweans calling for a boycott of South African products gathered outside the Guildhall in London on Monday to grab the attention of delegates attending a meeting of the New Partnership for Africa's Development, NEPAD. This demonstration was organised by members of The Zimbabwe Vigil, a London-based lobby group of Zimbabweans fighting for democracy back home.

The venue was strategically chosen because NEPAD is an initiative of South Africa's president Thabo Mbeki. Good governance and peer review mechanisms are at the core of the NEPAD programme, and Vigil members wanted to highlight Thabo Mbeki's support of the oppressive Mugabe regime next door. They stressed however that they have nothing against South Africans themselves, just Mbeki's policy of quiet diplomacy.

Trevor Manuel, South Africa's Finance Minister, was in attendance. And so was a crew from the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation, SABC. The banners made the point quite clear: "Mbeki supports a tyrant" "Mbeki loves Mugabe" "NEPAD supports tyranny in Zimbabwe" "Quiet diplomacy condones genocide" and many more. Vigil members say they are going to plaster thousands of these all over the U.K. until Mbeki disowns Mugabe.

In protest, South African wine was poured onto the ground and South African fruit was trashed. Vigil organiser Rose Benton said the BBC reporter who was covering the NEPAD meeting said it was much more fun outside than inside.

Last month, Reuel Khoza, chairman of the Nepad Business Foundation, accused the African Union of "shirking its responsibility" by not intervening in Zimbabwe's crackdown on poor urban settlements. Khoza said African business groups believed the AU should be "more outspoken" in condemning the Mugabe government's actions.

See pictures of the demonstration Monday