Fight the Flight(s)

Open response to Dr Masimba Mavaza

Dr, Sir,

Thank you for allowing the main groups who arranged thenperfectly legal protest outside the Zimbabwean Embassy on the 4^thnAugust 2021 to garner more publicity regarding our concerns.

Therefore, let us begin by saying you are clearly not awarenof the reasons why Zimbabweans were demonstrating, or you are pretending to benunaware in order to create a false narrative against the MDCA, ZAPU and the ROHR,nZHRO Human Rights pressure groups in the UK. Whatever the number of people thatnare attending a demonstration they must be heard whether one or a thousand. Sonstating the number of people demonstrating is not the issue.

One of our reasons was about the planned removals andndeportations of a ‘target’ [set by the British Embassy in Harare – and wenpresume Zanu PF] of 100 Zimbabweans per month. The reasons for a [tiny minority]nof deportations were for high level criminal offences. However, on furtherndetailed analysis it was noted that the ‘forced-removals’ were [mainly] for visanrelated issues and the consequences of the UK’s complex, convoluted andnexpensive asylum processes.

The groups that demonstrated on the 4^th of Augustnwere very clear on their stance which is that everyone should be given duenprocess. Yes murderers, rapists and child molesters should be prosecuted to thenfull extent of the law. We were not defending their crimes.

Zimbabwe remains an unsafe destination due to the rulingnZanu PF cabal, and all the ‘captured’ state institutions, such as the Army,nPolice, Electoral commission and the Judiciary to name but a few. The Zanu PFnparty has a “psychosis” in that it needs to have all Zimbabweans swearnallegiance to the ‘Party’ – but if you cannot, then your life, property etc arenat considerable risk of harm, injury, torture, rape, etc [see reports from thenUS Embassy in Harare, and Amnesty International.]

https://zw.usembassy.gov/2020-human-rights-report-zimbabwe/

“Significant human rightsnissues included: unlawful or arbitrary killings of civilians by securitynforces; torture and arbitrary detention by security forces; cases of cruel, inhuman,nor degrading treatment or punishment; harsh and life-threatening prisonnconditions; political prisoners or detainees; arbitrary or unlawfulninterference with privacy; serious problems with the independence of thenjudiciary; serious government restrictions on free expression, press, and theninternet, including violence, threats of violence, or unjustified arrests ornprosecutions against journalists, censorship, site blocking, and the existencenof criminal libel laws; substantial interference with the rights of peacefulnassembly and freedom of association; restrictions on freedom of movement;nrestrictions on political participation; widespread acts of corruption; lack ofninvestigation of and accountability for violence against women; crimes involvingnviolence or threats of violence targeting women and girls, and the existence ofnlaws criminalizing consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults, althoughnnot enforced.”

“Impunity remained a problem.nThe government took very few steps to identify or investigate officials whoncommitted human rights abuses, and there were no reported arrests ornprosecutions of such persons.”

https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/africa/zimbabwe/report-zimbabwe/

“The authorities used COVID-19nregulations to justify severe restrictions on the rights to freedom ofnexpression and peaceful assembly. They deployed security forces to abduct,nassault and torture perceived critics, and opposition members and leaders.nPolice and security agents killed at least 10 people. Women were denied accessnto essential maternal health care, and violence against women and girls wasnwidespread.”

“A joint team comprised ofnagents of the police, military, the Central Intelligence Organisation, and thenOffice of the President, known as the “Ferret Team”, terrorized governmentncritics, opposition leaders and activists, and their family members. Many,nincluding several members of the main opposition party, Movement for DemocraticnChange-Alliance (MDC-A), were abducted from police custody, tortured and dumpednfar from their homes.”

However, Dr Mavaza ignores the obvious failings of Zanu PFnand the subsequent inhumane conditions that have been created as the reasons ofnthe demonstrations. Akin to Mnangagwa as it appears, he too has a verynselective memory.

https://www.facebook.com/1714941312061233/posts/3093075370914480/

Of course to the learned doctor, places like the leakingnsewage in Mbare are not important to him as he has never set foot there as henis dipping his hands into the bottomless Zanu PF’s pocket which never reachesnto the masses but is a privilege of the select few like himself. The fact thatnZanu PF is so corrupt that a nurse earns £35 a month while the mineral wealthnis being looted to fund people like him who know well the wickedness of Zanu PFnand will continue to support it. Which Zimbabwe is horrified and why, is speakingnthe truth about Zimbabwe equated to vilification? Is this creating a narrativento support Zanu PF or the learned Dr is beginning to believe his ownnpropaganda. Yaa, that’s what happens if you repeat lies too long you will beginnto believe them yourself.

Zanu PF is known for splashing cars and money to people innorder to get them to support them. POLAD opposition leaders, clergy, comediansnand reporters were given cars and some cash because Zanu PF came to anrealisation that everyone has a price tag.

WELL not everyone has a price tag. Is it surprising to seensomeone travel to a demonstration at their own cost because they believe in thencause? It is very insulting to every Zimbabwean who will fund their own causento have you generalise that every MDC A supporter or human rights activist hasnto be paid to do a bidding for John Burke.

We are all volunteers, Dr Mavaza, no-one has been paid.

The reason that the demonstration was done at the Zimbabweannembassy was perhaps the demonstrators were saying Zimbabwe is unsafe becausenactivists like Hopewell, Mako, Joanna, Cecilia, Netsai and others have beennincarcerated for exposing the truth. The likes of Itai Dzamara and others arenstill missing for simply speaking out, Tonderai Ndira you knifed to death.nThere has been no commission of enquiry set up for the 1980s Matabelelandnmassacres, there are no answers for the many who were maimed during and afternthe 2003 and 2008 elections. Don’t ever dupe yourself and think that thenNdebele people have forgotten, they are equal Zimbabweans deserving equalntreatment like any other Zimbabweans. Villagers continue to be displaced fornthe benefit of political gurus so why should there be no demonstrations at thenZimbabwean embassy in London to say these things.

Dr Mavaza claims that the Zimbabwean Embassy offerednnon-judgemental support and practical support to the families, well how theyndid that is not clear. What is clear as quoted from Zim Eye is that 4nindividuals were singled out by Mr Katsande as he refused to sign their EmergencynTravel Documents [ETD’s are signed at the Embassy – perhaps that’s why we werenthere?]. So much for impartiality. While Zimbabwe makes no judgements regardingnthe deportations, Mr Katsande can single out which travel documents to sign andnwhich ones not to sign. So, by inference from your statement Dr, Mr Katsandenrepresents ED Mnangagwa [ED] meaning that it is ED who decided to single out 4npeople and stop their deportation. That is the long hand of corruption fromnHarare right into 429 The Strand, London.

So people will continue to speak out as long as there isncorruption that leaves nurses and teachers unpaid, as long as sewage continuesnto flow down streets and walls, as long as the hospitals continue to have nonmedication, people will continue to speak. As long as corruption is beingnpeddled in the corridors of power through proxies like Kuda Tagwirei who hasnhis boys shipping Rolls Royce on a cargo plane back to Zimbabwe on the back-dropnof a total cost of USD770 000.00. And of course, Zimbabweans should cower andnstay in their homes or if they do turn up, blame John Burke for funding demos. Shameful.nLet’s deal with the speck in John Burke’s eye and leave the log in Zanu PF.nEpic how the bible describes your writing Dr!!!!!!!

The activists are also lobbying for the adoption of anclear picture of Zimbabwe, not the sugar coated Zanu PF political rhetoric.

One only has to read the assessments by Amnesty International,nUnited Nations, the US embassy in Harare [Quoted and referenced above] and allnthe reports in the UK media to understand how sickening the situation innZimbabwe is. And of course, Zimbabweans that have something to offer in the UKnshould be considered for leave. Why does Zanu PF crave people to be in Zimbabwe,nyet they do not even have a single state hospital that is adequately funded nornare they paying doctors and nurses a living wage.

No one demonstrating against Zanu PF is a paid mercenary.nSince the Dr knows how that works and he himself is a paid mercenary he isnaiding and abetting the destruction of Zimbabwe and Zimbabweans through 41nyears of misrule and looting.

There is clear evidence that all Zimbabwe’s woes areninflicted by the Zanu PF cabal who laughingly call themselves a government andnthe Dr, is an apologist for the joke government. ROHR, ZHRO, MDCA, ZAPU andnother activists cannot “soil Zanu PF”, it has done that on its own with thenassistance of their crude use of violence, corruption, intolerance andncontinued rigging of the elections.

Why is it so difficult for the government of Zimbabwe to paynnurses and teachers a living wage when their ministers can afford to benairlifted out of the country for medical treatment? Why are the roads andninfrastructure a total disaster while state of the art cars are bought for thenclergy, comedians and political puppets?

So is the Dr oblivious to all this or he is pretending to benignorant in order to push a narrative.

Lastly MDCA did not aid rapists and murderers but as always,nthey advocated for everyone to get due process. As you stated that those thatnwanted their cases heard should appeal to the British Government through thencourts, that’s due process. So we really wonder what you are on about, except anfailed attempt to create a political narrative and advance Zanu PF propaganda.nThat is what activists lobbied for. So it’s simple, everyone is entitled to duenprocess something that is alien to Zanu PF and its enablers like the Dr, whonbelieve everyone opposing Zanu PF should be frog marched to ‘shamhu ine munyu’nwithout any due process.

By the way, it was also the same group [organised by MDCA,nZAPU, ROHR and ZHRO] that were also there [at the Zimbabwe Embassy] on the 19^thnJuly 2021 – and their subsequent protests outside the Home Office [and handednover a petition document], Protests were carried out on the same day atnParliament Square, and finally outside 10 Downing Street, where our speechesnwere piped into Parliament to assist with the debate on all asylum seekersnbeing conducted [https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2021-07-19/debates/C87C5848-DF11-4B03-90FE-39FA245CB12D/AmnestyForUndocumentedMigrants

Signed on behalf of the many true Zimbabweans in thendiaspora.

With the support in our objectives from:

nn
nnn

1. nDiane Abbott nMP

2. nZarah Sultana MP

3. nLord Peter Hain

4. nMark Serwotka, nGeneral Secretary PCS

5. nWAST

6. nREFUGEE ACTION

7. nRAPAR

8. nGMIAU

9. nSTATUS NOW FOR ALL

10. nFIRST WEDNESDAY

11. nLISG

12. nMCR NO BORDERS

13. nSOCIAL ACTION UNITE

14. nFresh Grassroots Rainbow community

15. nZAPU (Zimbabwe African People’s Union(

16. nMDC-A (Movement for Democratic Change Alliance)

17. nACTSA

18. nArtists’ Union England

19. nBlack and Asian Lawyers for Justice

20. nCardiff Peoples Assembly

21. nRacial Justice Network

22. nMigrant Voice

23. nChannel Rescue

24. nVoices4 London

25. nMigrants in Culture

26. nNew Queers on the Block

27. nperformingborders

28. nSOAS Detainee Support

29. nRestoration of Human Rights (ROHR) Zimbabwe

30. nZimbabwe Human Rights Organization (ZHRO)

31. nLesbians and Gays Support the Migrantsn(LGSMigrants)

32. nRight To Remain

33. nVoice for Voiceless Immigration DetaineesnYorkshire

34. nBARAC UK

35. nActors For Human Rights

36. nBail for Immigration Detainees

37. nJoint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants

nn
nnn

Plus many other groups for the ‘Indefinite Leave To Remain’nfor people who are undocumented, destitute, and those in the legal processn#HealthAndSafetyForAll

https://statusnow4all.org/signatory-organisations-to-the-status-now-campaign/