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Zimbabwe Exiles Forum statement on South Africa's Freedom Day
Zimbabwe Exiles Forum (ZEF)
April 26, 2006

Zimbabwe Exiles Forum (ZEF) joins many others in wishing South Africans well when they celebrate Freedom Day tomorrow. It will be recalled that South Africa, like may other African countries has come out of a hugely dark past in which human rights and other civil liberties were the preserve of a minority. This day is therefore important in that it is a celebration of dignity and human rights that transcends racial, ethnic, sexual and other considerations.

The Zimbabwe Exiles Forum is however saddened that South Africa's Freedom Day celebrations follow a week after Zimbabwe's 'Independence Celebrations' that had no relevance to the people of Zimbabwe. Whilst South Africa enjoys basic rights and generally, a democratic and tolerant environment, Zimbabwe is the exact antithesis of this success story. Inflation hovers at 1000%, torture is rampant, poverty and political intolerance is the order of the day in Zimbabwe.

As ZEF therefore congratulates South Africans on their freedom as well as wishing them well, it again strongly urges the South African government to abandon it's seeming support for the autocratic regime headed by President Robert Mugabe across the border.

Commenting on the situation in Zimbabwe, the Executive Director of ZEF, Mr Gabriel Shumba, who is also a human rights lawyer and torture victim had this to say:

"It is because of tyranny that there is more than three million (mostly illegal) Zimbabweans in SA. It is also because of torture and repression in Zimbabwe that ZEF is registered here in SA."

For more information contact:
Mr Gabriel Shumba
The Executive Director
Zimbabwe Exiles Forum
Kutlawanong Democracy Centre
Cnr Prinsloo and Visagie Street
Pretoria
South Africa

E-mail: gabmrech@yahoo.com, gabmrech@gmail.com or zimexiles@gmail.com
Website: www.zimexilesforum.com

*ZEF is an international network of Zimbabweans forced into exile because of gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms committed by Robert Gabriel Mugabe and his regime

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