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December
03 day of action to say no to poverty, oppression and dictatorship!
Zimbabwe
Social Forum
December 02, 2008
Following the Zimbabwe Social Forum held in Harare on the
11th October 2008 and the Southern Africa Social Forum of the 18th
October in Swaziland, it was resolved that the only way to resolve
the unprecedented economic and political crisis in Zimbabwe is united
direct mass action.
It was noted
that whilst the ordinary people were suffering and dying, elites
in politics and business were wallowing in luxury yet it was their
system of neoliberal capitalism that has caused the crisis in the
first place. That half-baked elitist political settlements centred
around imperialist inspired neoliberal economic policies as in the
non-inclusive SADC-Mbeki talks and already being implemented by
the unelected de facto Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, Reserve Bank
Governor, Gideon Gono who has been imposed on the people of Zimbabwe
for a further five years, would only perpetuate the suffering of
the people and the rule of his illegitimate and unelected masters
in the Zanu PF regime. We cannot and we will not accept the same
Gono who financed the destruction of our houses in Operation
Murambatsvina and stole millions of US dollars meant for drugs
and support of those with AIDS/HIV to buy judges, army and police
chiefs and politicians Prados and Plasma TVs. That the only way
forward to resolve the Zimbabwean crisis were immediate fresh democratic
elections held under a new people driven constitution that also
guarantees the bread and butter issues of the working people and
subordinates the private profit and wealth of the few to the human
and social needs of the many.
To that end
it was resolved to mobilize for all out united mass action on 3
December by the Zimbabwe Social Forum together with the actions
called by the Zimbabwe
Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) demanding the removal of bank
cash limits and the National
Constitutional Assembly (NCA) rejecting the elitist constitutional
process agreed by the politicians and instead demanding a people
driven constitution. In addition are those demands already stated
in the Peoples Charter including:
- Removal of
all limits on cash withdrawals in banks --- its our money . . .
Gono must go now!
- Abolish all
forex shops --- pay workers tax-free minimum living wages in forex
- Declare Cholera
outbreak a national disaster --- clean water for the people and
full compensation for those who died of Cholera
- Free ARV
Drugs and support care --- open our hospitals and pay nurses and
doctors living wages --- We want free quality health care for
all!
- Open our
schools, colleges and universities now - pay teachers and
lecturers living wages - abolish all fees in forex . . .
We want free quality education for all!
- Affordable
quality state subsidized public transport for all
- Living pensions
for the disabled and elderly and free aids for them like wheelchairs
and crutches and an end to the stigmatization and discrimination
against the disabled
- No to harassment
of informal and cross border traders --- passports are our rights!
- Full, affordable
and quality state subsidized social services: water; electricity;
refuse collection; housing; sewerage facilities --- no to privatization
of social utilities.
- Full democracy
now: No to the elitist GNU and Kariba
Draft Constitution which keep the losers of the March 2008
elections in power! We demand free and fair elections under a
People Driven Constitution!
Already thousands
have been protesting and striking in the last few weeks from nurses,
doctors, women, students, the NCA and in the last few days, riots
by underpaid and starving junior members of the armed forces. The
hour has now arrived in Zimbabwe! None but ourselves shall free
ourselves! We shall from tomorrow Wednesday the 3rd December gather
and march from bank premises in our thousands as AIDS/HIV activists,
traders, students, youths, women, the disabled, workers, residents,
artists, socialists and social, constitutional and economic justice
activists, regardless of whatever the regime throws at us. The hour
of freedom is near . . . We call on all progressive movements and
activists in Africa and globally to stand with us as we reject poverty,
oppression and dictatorship and fight for freedom!
Our Country
is not for sale . . . Another Zimbabwe is Possible! Another World
is Possible!
Say No to Privatisation
. . . Neoliberalism and Capitalism!
The Zimbabwe Social Forum is made up of over forty organizations
and movements from the following clusters: AIDS/HIV; Disabled; Labour
and Trade Unions; Youths; Residents; Gender; Social Service Delivery;
Informal Trade; Debt and Trade; Human Rights and Governance and
Faith Based.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.
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