Free Zim Youths to protest at SA and Zimbabwe embassies

By Lance Guma
09 August 2007

The Free-Zim Youths based in the United Kingdom will on Friday launch a double demonstration at the Zimbabwean Embassy and South African High Commission in London. Sunday sees the commemoration of World Youth Day but Alois Mbawara and his team plan to use Friday instead to launch a solidarity campaign for youths and students in Zimbabwe. He told Newsreel on Thursday that their campaign involves raising awareness and mobilising support within the UK student movement for those in Zimbabwe.

He mentioned the eviction of over 4000 University of Zimbabwe students from their halls of residence, as some of the issues that need intense lobbying and help for the students. It’s more than likely the university will close the halls even in the next semester. Free-Zim say they are also working with the Commonwealth and student groups in the UK to organise scholarships for disadvantaged Zimbabwean students.

The youths also plan to present their concerns at the South African High Commission over the capture of Zimbabwean border jumpers by vigilante farmers in South Africa. The farmers claim their property is being vandalised and valuable equipment being stolen. The youths feel the South African government should take a more proactive approach and seek a more robust involvement in solving the crisis rocking its neighbour. Asked if demonstrations at the Zimbabwean and South African missions were not an overused strategy Mbawara said these had to be used in conjunction with other forms of lobbying.

He also shared his thoughts on why Zimbabweans tended to shy away from protests saying not everyone stayed in London and it was only a few people who were willing to cough up transport money to travel long distances.