Independence, what Independence! – Zimbabwe Vigil Diary 19th April 2025

https://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/54462807008/sizes/m/

 Thanks
to
those
who
came
today:
Kudzwai
Madhodha,
Chido
Makawa,
Philip
Maponga,
Patricia
Masamba
and
Ephraim
Tapa.
Photos:https://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/albums/72177720325212024.

Independence,
what
Independence!

This
was
the
overwhelming
reaction
from
Vigil
activists
as
they
processed
the
so-called
Independence
celebrations
in
Gokwe
this
Friday:

• With
  over
  6
  million
  Zimbabweans
  hiding
  or
  eking
  out
  a
  living
  in
  foreign
  lands
• With
  the
  health
  service
  in
  Zimbabwe
  totally
  collapsed
  or
  a
  preserve
  of
  the
  rich
  or
  those
  linked
  to
  ZANU
  PF
  (musician
  Tendai
  Pinjisi
  died
  recently
  crying
  out
  for
  pain
  relief)
• With
  the
  national
  railway
  system
  archaic
  and
  roads
  in
  a
  very
  dangerous
  state
  (despite
  tollgate
  money
  machines
  operating
  24/7)
• With
  the
  education
  system
  now
  in
  the
  hands
  of
  profit
  seekers
  nationwide
  due
  to
  an
  acute
  shortage
  of
  schools
• With
  the
  closing
  of
  the
  democratic
  space
  that
  had
  been
  left
  following
  the
  annihilation
  of
  the
  opposition
  by
  the
  state
  (Mnangagwa
  recently
  signed
  into
  law
  the
  Private
  Voluntary
  Organisations
  Act
  that
  empowers
  the
  ZANU
  PF
  government
  minister
  to
  register, monitor
  and
  approve
  boards
  of
  all
  civil
  society
  organisations
  without
  recourse
  to
  the
  law)
• What
  Independence,
  with
  the
  Chinese
  ravaging
  Zimbabwe’s
  resources
  with
  the
  help
  of
  corrupt
  ZANU
  PF
  and
  government
  officials,
  to
  the
  detriment
  of
  the
  poor
  masses
• What
  independence,
  when
  ZANU
  PF
  is
  now
  in
  the
  hands
  of
  the
  military,
  who
  run
  a
  dictatorship
  and
  will
  not
  countenance
  any
  opposition
  or
  challenge
  to
  its
  excesses
  in
  the
  application
  of
  power

The
list
goes
on.

Zimbabwe
Independence
is
for
the
few
in
ZANU
PF
who
continually
loot
national
resources
and
put
them
under
their
private
control.
They
also
steal
elections
to
remain
in
power
so
they
can
protect
their
loot
and
loot
further
for
their
unborn
children.

Zimbabwe
is
no
longer
for
the
faint
hearted;
if
the
poor
get
sick
they
die,
if
they
complain
they
get
killed,
if
they
don’t
obey
orders
they
get
disappeared
and
tortured,
if
they
decide
to
vend
on
the
streets they
get
their
goods
stolen
by
police.
It’s
a
war
zone!

Independence, what
Independence!!!!

For
Vigil
pictures
check: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/.
Please
note:
Vigil
photos
can
only
be
downloaded
from
our
Flickr
website.

 

Events
and
Notices:  

• 
  Next
  Vigil
  meeting
  outside
  the
  Zimbabwe
  Embassy. Saturday
  3^rd May
  from
  2
  –
  5
  pm.
  We
  meet
  on
  the
  first
  and
  third
  Saturdays
  of
  every
  month.
  On
  other
  Saturdays
  the
  virtual
  Vigil
  will
  run.
• 
  The
  Restoration
  of
  Human
  Rights
  in
  Zimbabwe
  (ROHR) is
  the
  Vigil’s
  partner
  organisation
  based
  in
  Zimbabwe.
  ROHR
  grew
  out
  of
  the
  need
  for
  the
  Vigil
  to
  have
  an
  organisation
  on
  the
  ground
  in
  Zimbabwe
  which
  reflected
  the
  Vigil’s
  mission
  statement
  in
  a
  practical
  way.
  ROHR
  in
  the
  UK
  actively
  fundraises
  through
  membership
  subscriptions,
  events,
  sales
  etc
  to
  support
  the
  activities
  of
  ROHR
  in
  Zimbabwe.
• 
  The
  Vigil’s
  book
  ‘Zimbabwe
  Emergency’ is
  based
  on
  our
  weekly
  diaries.
  It
  records
  how
  events
  in
  Zimbabwe
  have
  unfolded
  as
  seen
  by
  the
  diaspora
  in
  the
  UK.
  It
  chronicles
  the
  economic
  disintegration,
  violence,
  growing
  oppression
  and
  political
  manoeuvring
  –
  and
  the
  tragic
  human
  cost
  involved. It
  is
  available
  at
  the
  Vigil.
  All
  proceeds
  go
  to
  the
  Vigil
  and
  our
  sister
  organisation
  the
  Restoration
  of
  Human
  Rights
  in
  Zimbabwe’s
  work
  in
  Zimbabwe.
  The
  book
  is
  also
  available
  from
  Amazon.
• 
  
  Facebook
  pages:   

        Vigil : https ://www.facebook.com/zimbabwevigil 

        ROHR: https://www.facebook.com/Restoration-of-Human-Rights-ROHR-Zimbabwe-International-370825706588551/

ZAF: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Zimbabwe-Action-Forum-ZAF/490257051027515

The
Vigil,
outside
the
Zimbabwe
Embassy,
429
Strand,
London
meets
regularly
on
Saturdays
from
14.00
to
17.00
to
protest
against
gross
violations
of
human
rights
in
Zimbabwe.
The
Vigil
which started
in
October
2002
will
continue
until
internationally-monitored,
free
and
fair
elections
are
held
in
Zimbabwe.