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ACTSA
holds demonstration for democracy, rights and freedom for Zim
Action
for Southern Africa (ACTSA)
June 23, 2008
Democracy, Rights and Freedom for Zimbabwe.
That was the
call at a demonstration outside the Zimbabwe Embassy today organized
by the TUC and ACTSA.
Several hundred
trade union activists, Zimbabweans, and members of the public attended
the demonstration, prominent amongst the attendees were Brendan
Barber, General Secretary of the TUC and Margot Wallstrom, Vice
President of the European Commission, Kate Hoey and Sally Keble
MPs, members of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Zimbabwe.
The demonstration,
which followed the announcement
by Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the MDC, to withdraw from the presidential
election run off, also called on the Zimbabwean Government to drop
all charges against Lovemore Matombo, President of Zimbabwe
Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) and Wellington Chibebe, General
Secretary of ZCTU. The two were due to appear in court today charged
with of spreading falsehoods prejudicial to the state. The trial
was deferred to 30 July.
The demonstration
called for:
- Trade unionists
to be free to organise and speak without being arrested and tortured
- An end to
violence and intimidation
- Real democracy
for Zimbabwe
- Justice
and rights for Zimbabwe and Zimbabweans
The demonstration
saw Tony Dykes, Director of ACTSA, Brendan Barber General Secretary
of the TUC and Kate Hoey, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group
on Zimbabwe present a letter to the Zimbabwe Embassy calling for
the government to drop all charges against Lovemore Motombo and
Wellington Chibebe.
A giant montage
of Lovemore and Wellington's faces, made of the pictures of
thousands of trade unionists, formed the centerpiece for the demonstration.
Tony Dykes,
Director of ACTSA said:
"It is
deeply concerning that the people of Zimbabwe are no longer free
to speak out against the government without fear of reprisals form
the ruling party and the instruments of the state. The withdrawal
of the opposition party from the presidential run off is yet more
evidence that the government will not tolerate any form of opposition
to the ruling party.
ACTSA calls
for an immediate end to the violence and intimidation in Zimbabwe.
We welcome the recent comments made by many Southern Africa Development
Countries (SADC) opposing the violence and intimidation in Zimbabwe.
We very much hope that SADC will assist Zimbabweans to find a solution
to the crisis which stops the violence and reflects democratic will
of the Zimbabwean people."
*Action
for Southern Africa (ACTSA) is the successor organisation to the
Anti-Apartheid Movement. Since 1994 ACTSA has been campaigning with
the people of southern Africa as they strive to build a better future,
working for peace, democracy and development across the region.
*For further
information or to interview Tony Dykes please contact ACTSA on 020
3263 2001 or campaigns@actsa.org
Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.
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