Youths dump coffin at SA embassy in London during weekend protests

By Lance Guma
16 October 2006

Over 200 Zimbabwean activists joined the Free-Zim Youth UK group in a demonstration at the South African embassy in London on Saturday. The youths who were dressed in military gear to symbolise what they call their renewed fight for democracy in Zimbabwe dumped a coffin at the embassy. The group says the coffin symbolises all the victims of operation murambatsvina and the countless opposition activists who have been tortured or killed by Mugabe’s regime.

Gay rights activist Peter Tatchell, gender activist Yvonne Marimo and Tokumbo Oku from the African Liberation Support Campaign Network were all guest speakers at the march. Protesters chanted and sang songs denouncing Mugabe’s government. On the same Saturday the Zimbabwe Vigil was marking its 4 th year anniversary and just as organisers had predicted, the turnout was significantly higher. Members of the MDC in the United Kingdom who were celebrating the 7th anniversary of the opposition party joined them for the vigil.

Free-Zim Youth UK is not happy with the stance of South African president Thabo Mbeki towards the Zimbabwean crisis. They accuse him of being a dishonest broker in the crisis and keeping quite even though human rights abuses are being carried out just across the border from his country. Mbeki also faced criticism for showing more interest in international issues like the just ended war in Lebanon while ignoring a conflict much closer to home.