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Bulawayo
Agenda calls for national introspection, peace, and reversal of
militarisation of country
Bulawayo Agenda
September 20, 2012
http://platform2012.blogspot.com/2012/09/bulawayo-agenda-calls-for-national.html
The Bulawayo Agenda leadership, staff members and membership joins
the nation and the world in commemorating the International Day
of Peace. The organisation urges the Zimbabwean perennial perpetrators
of violence and the nation at large to take the occasion of the
commemorations to conduct a thorough introspection, build peace,
call for security sector reform and reversal of militarisation of
the country.
This year's
commemorations, under the international theme; "Sustainable
Peace for a Sustainable Future", coincides with a Zimbabwe
riddled with and trapped in a past that it has to break away from.
The military-political party collusions pose as the greatest anti-peace
sect in Zimbabwe.
Besides the
past that includes Gukurahundi, Murambatsvina,
Violent elections, the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition has reported
that Zanu PF has revived terror groups around the country. The militia
groups go by the names of 'Chipangano' in Harare, 'Top
Six' in Chinhoyi, 'Jochomondo' in Hurungwe, 'Jambanja'
in Marambapfungwe and 'Alshabab' in Kwekwe as shown
in the media in this
article and elsewhere.
The revival
of these militia groups also coincides with the launch of the $98
million Defence School last week, on the 14th of September. Despite
its failure to pay workers a decent salary, the Government has prioritised
funding of future war against unarmed citizens, all in the name
of 'sovereignty' that serves a few. The speedy construction
of the college comes in defiance of the ideals of peace.
It is also
directly opposed to the UN Secretary General's message in
commemoration of peace which partly reads, 'Natural resources
must be used for the benefit of society, not to finance wars. Children
should be in school, not recruited into armies. National budgets
should focus on building human capacity, not deadly weapons'.
Zimbabwe is
at a stage of transitioning into a democratic dispensation and faces
a challenge of a much stronger resolve to erode all the democratic
gains and protect the interests of a few at a heavy national cost.
As the debate on the constitution making and subsequent supposedly
watershed elections, the tell-tale signs of violence are showing
and the political hypocrisy is on the surge.
The Organ on
National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration (ONHRI), Joint
Monitoring and Implementation Committee (JOMIC), civil society and
other stakeholders' initiatives remain heavily restrained
by restrictive legislation which has seen the police's heavy-handedness
virtually closing democratic spaces.
Bulawayo Agenda
calls upon political parties and all stakeholders to respect human
rights, to heed the local and international calls and cause for
building sustainable peace for Zimbabwe to see a peaceful transition
and confront its socio-economic challenges.
We also call
upon Zimbabweans to reject violence and its leadership thereof-embrace
and build sustainable peace. The organisation also calls upon the
regional bodies which include SADC, the AU and international actors
to stand by the people of Zimbabwe in dissipating the clouds of
violence building around them.
Visit the Bulawayo
Agenda fact sheet
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