Vendors and forex dealers forced to attend Bob bash at Beitbridge

By Tererai Karimakwenda
25 February, 2008

The border towns of Beitbridge and Mussina were buzzing with activity this weekend as Robert Mugabe celebrated his 84th birthday at a lavish party on the Zimbabwe side and youth activists demonstrated against his regime on the South African side.

Nkathazo, a Zimbabwean activist who was at the border taking part in a demonstration organised by the Zimbabwe Revolutionary Youth Movement (ZRYM), said he crossed over to Zimbabwe and back to South Africa easily because of all the traffic. This allowed him to witness events from both sides.

Disturbing reports came from the Zimbabwe side, where many villagers flocked to Mugabe’s birthday party when they heard there was free food. Nkathazo said he saw youth militia forcing people who were selling wares to stop doing business and get onto buses headed for the birthday bash. Many were local vendors and foreign currency dealers. He said those who refused were beaten.

On the South African side there was no partying. The Zimbabwe Revolutionary Youth Movement conducted a demonstration demanding that Zimbabweans outside the country be allowed to vote. About 1,200 people attended the demonstration.
Nkathazo was there when the protestors hoisted a giant helium balloon with the words “Happy Bye Bye Mugabe” into the air. Nkathazo said this was meant as a sarcastic birthday card, telling Mugabe that he will be removed from office on March 29th in the presidential polls. He added that the balloon was so big Mugabe must have seen it across the Limpopo river at his birthday party.

The ZRYM last Thursday displayed a protest paper birthday cake for Robert Mugabe at the Zimbabwe Embassy in Pretoria. The group is returning there this Thursday for another demo. Group President Simon Mudekwa said Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to South Africa, Simon Khaya Moyo, has finally agreed to meet them to discuss the petition they delivered last week. The petition had thousands of signatures demanding that Zimbabweans outside the country be allowed to vote.