Zimbabwean youth petition Tony Blair over Zim crisis

By Tererai Karimakwenda

28 July 2006

A group of Zimbabwean youths in the UK organized a demonstration Friday against Mugabe’s selection of former President of Tanzania, Benjamin Mkapa, as the mediator to handle Zimbabwe’s crisis. The youth formed an organization called Free Zim earlier this year and vowed to become active on the political landscape. And true to their name they joined forces with veterans from the Zimbabwe Vigil and marched from the Zimbabwe Embassy to 10 Downing Street Friday afternoon. Alois Phiri told us about 150 people had joined the march as they left for Prime Minister Tony Blair’s official residence. Phiri said they would hand over a letter to Blair urging him not to be fooled by Mugabe’s diversion tactics. He explained that no mediation is needed between Zimbabwe and Britain because Mugabe needs to negotiate with Zimbabweans.

The United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan cancelled a trip to Zimbabwe after Mugabe refused to accept him as a mediator when the two met at the African Union summit in the Gambia earlier this month. Mugabe insisted that Mkapa act as the mediator. Annan has been criticized strongly for not putting any pressure on Mugabe on this issue. Phiri blasted Mkapa calling him a supporter of Mugabe’s repressive policies. He said: “We are going to send a letter to Tony Blair urging him not allow this diversion. We all know that Mugabe is the Zimbabwe crisis.” Phiri also expressed concern over the fact that Annan’s term of office at the UN ends this year. He said Zimbabweans will be forced to suffer even longer while Annan’s replacement gets up to speed with the situation.

As we spoke to Phiri Friday demonstrators could be heard singing in Shona and Ndebele as they marched to Downing Street. Phiri said it is time Zimbabwean youth made a difference by standing up and speaking out against the Mugabe regime. A statement released by Free Zim and The Vigil group said: “Zimbabweans in the diaspora insist that the mediation initiative is a diversion designed to avoid the spotlight falling on Zimbabwe where people are still being driven from their homes and livelihoods as Operation Murambatsvina (drive out trash) continues.”

Regarding their message to the British prime minister, the statement said: “Zimbabwean groups in the UK are calling on Tony Blair to dismiss the notion that there is a dispute between Zimbabwe and Britain and to press for the UN to continue their fact finding initiatives to establish what exactly is happening in the country, where most international journalists are banned and local reporters carefully vetted”.