Back to Index

The struggle for Zimbabwe's future
Alex Neve, Secretary General, Amnesty International-Canada
September 09, 2004

http://www.amnesty.ca/zimbabwe/mission.php

Read the full mission report - Zimbabwe Under Siege: A Canadian Civil Society Perspective

In late spring 2004, Alex Neve took part in a mission to South Africa and Zimbabwe along with representatives from a number of non-governmental organizations. Their mission was to demonstrate solidarity and strengthen support for Zimbabwean and South African civil society groups in the context of the current crisis in Zimbabwe.

Finally there are tentative, promising signs that the world will stand up to the massive human rights crisis in Sudan's Darfur region. But in another corner of Africa, another devastating human rights crisis seems hardly to be noticed at all.

That is how Sandra, whom I met in Zimbabwe, explained how she finds the strength to continue with her courageous work. She works tirelessly to uphold the rights of some of the most marginalized and persecuted people in Zimbabwe. She speaks out about injustice and organizes others to defend their rights. She goes on despite the fact that she has had to flee her house in the middle of the night and go into hiding, despite the fact that her teenage sons have been beaten and hospitalized, despite the fact that her husband was abducted and tortured, nearly to death.

As do tens of thousands of her fellow Zimbabweans, Sandra goes on because this is her struggle for justice and freedom. Some struggle in the political arena, in the courts and in the streets. Others flee to neighbouring lands, where they are treated harshly but where they hope to find a place of safety. I met many of them and I felt inspired by their determination and resilience. But I despaired that their struggle comes in the face of mounting human rights violations and a debilitating blend of international paralysis and indifference.

The government of Robert Mugabe, who led Zimbabwe to liberation from decades of cruel, racist white rule and to independence in 1980, has portrayed the current crisis as being the final stage of that liberation. He writes off any disagreement with his policies B from the political opposition, media, activists, or foreign governments B as disagreement with his plans to redistribute prosperous white owned farms. But that is not the issue. Very few Zimbabweans oppose land reform. Most, in fact, passionately agree that land must be more widely and equitably shared.

They disagree though, with using violence to rush those reforms as part of a campaign to hold on to power. They reject abandoning hundreds of thousands of vulnerable farm workers turfed off of expropriated farms. And they disagree with manipulating the food crisis that stems from this politicized land reform, as a means of securing votes. They are opposed to closing down a free press, peaceful demonstrations and any notion of an independent judiciary.

They also worry that the rest of the world has forgotten about a land that was once a place of great promise in Africa. Governments in Africa and elsewhere have been muzzled into silence, fearful that any criticism will be labeled as support for the racist colonial past.

But as Sandra says, this is not about the past. It is about the future. And it is time for all of us to stand alongside her.

The government of Canada can do so by investing substantial will and resources into forging a broad international front of nations, including African states, that will support the drive for justice and freedom in Zimbabwe. Canada has been a principled voice for human rights in southern Africa before, shaming other western governments to take a stand against apartheid.

And Canada's people can reach out in solidarity to Sandra and other Zimbabweans. Many Canadian organizations - human rights groups, development agencies and others - are working with Zimbabweans and need more support. Canadians must let Zimbabweans know that the world is not indifferent and that they are not alone in their dream for a future based on justice and freedom.

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.

TOP