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WOZA
MOYA June 2006
Women
of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA)
June 15, 2006
Tuesday 20 June 2006 is World Refugee
Day. The theme this
year is Keeping the Flame of Hope Alive
WOZA is marking this day
because we are refugees in our own country. Our lives have been stolen
but the flame of hope still burns. We demand the right to earn a living.
iWOZA inanza ilanga leli
ngoba siyiziphepheli ezweni lakwethu. Batshontshe impilo zethu kodwa isibane
sethemba silokhu sivutha. Sifuna ilungelo lokuziphilisa.
WOZA iri kucherechedza
zuva iri nokuti tavavapoteri munyika medu. Upenyu hwedu wakabiwa asimwenje
yetarisiro ichirikuvhira. Tinoda kodzero yekuti tirarame.
STOLEN LIVES – REFUGEES
IN OUR OWN COUNTRY
The United
Nations says living conditions have worsened in Zimbabwe, where most of
the 700-thousand people who lost homes in mass evictions last year are
still struggling to find shelter. United Nations housing expert Miloon
Kothari says most of those displaced by President Robert Mugabe's May
2005 eviction campaign remain homeless in resettlement camps.
An extract from the Amnesty
International Report on Human Rights violation in 2005 reads:
"The government engaged
in widespread and systematic violations of the rights to shelter, food,
freedom of movement and residence, and the protection of the law. Hundreds
of thousands of people were forcibly evicted during winter and their
homes demolished as part of Operation Murambatsvina (Restore Order).
Tens of thousands of informal traders and vendors lost their livelihoods
and their ability to support their families as part of the operation.
Despite overwhelming evidence of humanitarian need the government repeatedly
obstructed the humanitarian efforts of the UN and civil society groups.
The police continued to operate in a politically biased manner and police
officers were implicated in numerous human rights violations, including
arbitrary arrest and detention, assault, ill-treatment of detainees
and excessive use of force. Freedom of expression, association and assembly
continued to be severely curtailed. Hundreds of people were arrested
for holding meetings or participating in peaceful protests."
A witness describes what
happens daily to those who refuse to become criminals and prostitutes
and continue to try to earn an honest living:
"I am at Bulawayo
Commuter Terminus, 9:30 am on 11 June 2006. A Bulawayo City Council
truck parks – there are two occupants. Vendors start to run away, many
leave their goods on the pavement. A young girl grabs oranges; a maize
vendor manages to balance his tray carrying his fire used to roast maize
cobs. The driver of the truck gets out and starts to help himself to
‘loot’. After 10 minutes, another eight men (two police officers in
uniform) come to the T35 truck carrying vegetables, sweets, fruit and
green maize. They load it all in. By this time the driver is standing
next to me reading a newspaper, someone walks past and greets him so
I discover his name is Mr. Ncube, he has a scar on his face. After all
the loot is loaded, Ncube drives away. The vendors come back, the young
girl has five oranges and some apples, and the man saved his toothbrushes,
chewing gum and sweets and quickly lays them out to sell as if nothing
had happened. Amazingly even the young man has his fire alight and is
roasting maize for the next customer. What were their options – stay
with their goods, get arrested and be forced to pay an admission of
guilt fine of $250 thousand or run with what they could carry and come
back to start again once the police have gone? Such is the life of a
vendor in Zimbabwe."
- NICHOLAS GOCHE (Minister
Labour & Social Welfare) - WE WANT THE RIGHT TO EARN A LIVING!
- JOYCE MUJURU - CHARITY
SHOULD BEGIN AT HOME!
One year after Operation Murambatsvina
(Zimbabwean Tsunami) started, many vendors are still harassed daily, their
goods confiscated. Many brave enough to try to get vending licences are
told they have to have Zanu PF party cards in order to register. With
80 per cent unemployment, the only hope for many Zimbabweans lies in their
own sweat, selling whilst dodging police and council police who confiscate
their goods without any recourse. We are yet to visit and sit in the lounge
of a Operation Garikayi/Hlalani Kuhle house owner and congratulate them.
As Zimbabweans still reflect and live through this ongoing Operation,
our leaders caring thoughts are elsewhere.... On
June 2, 2006 The Herald reports that Vice President Joyce Mujuru said
Zimbabwe will assist Indonesians who suffered from the devastating earthquake
that rocked that country killing thousands and leaving many people homeless.
The Zimbabwe Government did the same two years ago when massive tidal
waves (tsunami) killed thousands other people and left many people homeless.
She said "It is our cherished hope that the people of the Republic of
Indonesia will once again recover from this setback with the usual determination
to move forward." Whilst
the women of WOZA are in full solidarity and sympathise with our Indonesian
brothers and sisters, Mujuru must know that charity begins at home! We
are happy to know that the Indonesians will be able to get the help they
need without interference that Zimbabweans affected by Murambatsvina will
not be able to get.
What do we want from
our Government? WE DEMAND OUR RIGHT TO EARN A LIVING WITH DIGNITY!
In Zimbabwe we
know that our government will not allow international humanitarian organisations
to help provide us with the basic needs of a refugee. They try to control
who benefits and unless you have a Zanu PF party card you cannot benefit.
So we know better than to ask for food. Even when some of us were to receive
tents, the president refused saying, "We are not tent people".
We are not even asking for charity – all we are asking for is our right
to earn a living because without that right and the right to keep what
we earn, there is no right to life. See the African Charter on Human
and Peoples Rights, Article 22:
- All peoples shall have the
right to their economic, social and cultural development with due regard
to their freedom and identity….
- States shall have the duty
... to ensure the exercise of the right to development
See Convention on the Elimination
of all forms of discrimination against Women (CEDAW), Article 14:
"State parties shall take
appropriate measures ….that they participate in and benefit from rural
development and ensure the right: (e) to organise self-help groups and
co-operatives in order to obtain equal access to economic opportunities
through employment or self employment."
Ndebele
translation
- NICHOLAS GOCHE – SIFUNA
ILUNGELO LOKUZIPHILISA!
- JOYCE MUJURU – UNCEDO
LUQALA NGEKHAYA!
Sifunani kuHulumende wethu
na? SIFUNA ILUNGELO LOKUZIPHILISA NJALO SIZOTHILE! Siyazi kamhlophe
ukuthi uHulumende wethu kasoze avumele inhlanganiso zamazwe onke jikelele
ezisiza abantu, ukuthi zisinike ukudla kwansuku zonke njengoba siyiziphepheli.
Bayazama ukuvimbela esingakuthola njalo nxa ungelalo uphawu lwenhlanganiso
yeZanu PF awutholi lutho. Ngakhoke siyazi kancono kulokucela ukudla. Lanxa
abanye bethu babezathola amatende, umongameli wala wathi, "Asisobantu
bamatende thina’. Kasiceli ukufunzwa – esikucelayo lilungelo lethu lokuziphilisa
ngoba nxa lingekho leli ilungelo, lelungelo lokugcina inzuzo yethu, akulalungelo
lempilo. Khangela ugwalo lweAfrican Charter on Human and Peoples Rights,
Article 22:
- Abantu bonke balelungelo kwezomnotho,
impilakahle lokukhulisa isiko labo kukhangelelwe ukukhululeka lobuntu...
- Uhulumende ulomlandu …….. wokunanza
ilungelo lengqubekelaphambili
Convention on the Elimination
of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), Article 14:
Amabandla abusayo kufanele enze
izinqumo ezikhusela …ukuphatheka njalo babelokuzuza okuthile ekukhuliseni
abahlala emakhaya njalo babone ukuthi lelilungelo liyaqutshwa: (e) baqoqe
inhlanganiso zokuzincedisa lokusebenzela ndawonye (cooperatives) ukwenzela
ukuthi kube lokuthola okulinganayo kuzigabazomnotho ezigoqela ukuqatshwa
kumbe ukuzisebenza.
Shona
translation
- NICHOLAS GOCHE – TINODA
KODZERO YOKUTI TIRARAME!
- JOYCE MUJURU – CHIDO
CHINOTANGIRA MUMBA!
Herald yemusiwa 1 June 1981 mushakavanhu
Eddison Zvobgo vakatsanangura vachiti "Vanotengesa havafanirwe kukashamedza
kuswikira vatarisi vendzimbo dzavanotingesera vagadzira pekutengsera pakajeka.
Madzimai aya akashangurudzika izvo zwinofanira kupera". Zwinenge
ayitaura arimuguva rake Musiwa 1 June 2006 kuHeroes Acre. (Vonai Standard
Sunday Views Chris Mhike)
Zwatinoda kuvha kuhurumende
yedu? Tinoda KODZERO YOKUTHI TIRARAME KUNEMUTSIGO!
MuZimbabwe tozviziva kuti hurumende
yedu hayitivumiri kuti pawanike zwino diwa nevapoteri zvakakosha. Vanoedza
kuti hapana zwaumowana kana usina Card re Zanu PF. Saka tinoziva zvirinani
panekukumbira chikafu chero! Kamwe vedu vayifanirwa kupiwa matende, President
vakati "atizi vanhu vematende". Hatizi kana kukumbira rubatsiro chariuda
kodzero yekurarama nekuti pasina kodzero iyoyo nekodzero yekuchengetedzera
zvakakwama hapana kodzero kuupenye. Tarisai Africa Charter on Human
and Peoples Rights, Article 22:
- Munhu wese achava nekodzero
munezwematongero enyika munezweupfumi, nezwechinyakare, kuti vabudirire
ndokuti vawane kuzwitonga nekuratidzika sevanhu. Uzhinji ruchava nedano
rekuwona nekushandisa kusimudzira kodzero.
- Vatungamiri vanofanirwa kuona
kuti makodzero evanhu anosimukirwa.
Convention on the Elimination
of all forms of discrimination against Women (CEDAW), Article 14:
Vatungamiri vanofanira kuva
nemazano akarurama kuti vave nerubatsiro rekusimudzira kumusha kuti
vavi nechokwadi nekodzero: (e) Vaite zwirangwa zvekuti vabatane mune
zweupfumi bachiita mabasa emawoko.
Four candles burn in a room, those
of us listening can hear the candles talking. The first one said, "I
am PEACE. In April 1980 I burned so brightly, but I cannot survive
the sighs of those killed during Gukurahundi." With those words,
its light died. The second candle said, "I am LOVE. I too
burned brightly in 1980 but there is a terrible wind blowing over Zimbabwe
since the 2000 Election and I cannot stay lit." Flickering briefly,
its flame perished. The third candle said, "I am FAITH but
even I cannot withstand the smoke and dust of houses and dreams
destroyed by Murambatsvinas' bulldozers." A deathly hush fell as
its glow also went out. The fourth candle, its flame weak, whispers, "I
am HOPE. If only Zimbabweans would come and lift me up, together we can
relight PEACE, FAITH, LOVE, the other candles can shine again!"
The flame of hope should never go out of your life … each of us must
help to keep HOPE alive.
Fear can hold you prisoner; hope
can set you free. There are no hopeless situations; there are only hopeless
people. Ukwesaba kungakwenza isibotshwa, kodwa ithemba lingakukhulula.
Akulasimo esingelathemba abantu yibo abalahla ithemba. Kutya kungakuchengetedze
semusungwa asi tarisiro ingakusunungure. Hapana zvisina tarisiro, munhu
chete asina tariro.
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the WOZA fact
sheet
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