Zim youth organise “long march” to SADC embassies in UK

By Tererai Karimakwenda
20 December 2006

A group of young Zimbabwean activists in the U.K. have launched a campaign to pressure SADC member states to act on the political and economic crisis that has gripped Zimbabwe. Formed only months ago under the banner Free Zim Youth, the group has received much attention for their creative ways of bringing the Zimbabwe situation into focus. And after learning that SADC was organising a troika to assess the situation in Zimbabwe, they decided to try and make sure this mission yields some practical results.

Free Zim coordinator Alois Mbawara said they were launching the “Africa liberate Zimbabwe” campaign in order to ensure the SADC troika would not be a smoke screen for the regional watchdog to support the Mugabe regime. The launch takes place Friday at noon at the Zimbabwe embassy on the Strand in London. Alois said the group will assemble outside Zimbabwe House where they will sing and hand in a petition for the High Commissioner. They will then march to the embassies of South Africa, Botswana, Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique. Alois said they would march to the remaining SADC member embassies at the end of January.

Last month Free Zim disrupted South Africa’s foreign minister Nkosazana Dhlamini Zuma as she addressed an audience in London. The incident received much coverage and embarrassed Dhlamini Zuma, who had sidestepped the Zimbabwe crisis in her speech on the region. Free Zim has also been participating regularly in demonstrations at the Zimbabwe embassy and distributing information about the ongoing violence against innocent civilians and activists back home.

Alois said they plan to use the “Africa liberate Zimbabwe” platform to bring together different groups from Zimbabwe so they can speak as one voice. He believes this will strengthen their initiatives. He added that various groups from other African countries will be participating in solidarity with their cause at the launch on Friday. It is hoped this will put more pressure on African countries to act in favour of democracy.