Saturday 7th May

Nottingham Zimbabwean Community Network hosted 'Zimbabwean Day' in Nottingham.

The event was held at the : Goshen Community Centre, 164 Alfreton Road, Nottingham.

In a statement to The Zim Diaspora Regis Manyanya, Chairman of Nottingham Zimbabwean Community Network [NZCN], said that Zimbabwe Day would be celebrated under the theme  “mourning the death of democracy”.

Mr Manyanya said the theme was influenced by the tragic events in Zimbabwe which have seen thousands of Zimbabwe people murdered and persecuted by the Mugabe regime.

He said Zimbabwean day, popularly known as the Independence day, is supposed to be celebrated but in Nottingham the mood will be different as many Zimbabweans believe we are still living in bondage.

Taking you back to 1980 the then new Zimbabwean prime minister, Robert Mugabe, told us that "peace and stability was only going to be achieved when all of us, first as individuals and secondly as part of the whole Zimbabwean national community, feel a definite sense of individual security on the one hand and have an assurance of national peace and security on the other." 

Mugabe went on to say "whether be it your social, colour line or political beliefs black or white join me in a new pledge to forget our grim past, forgive others and forget, join hands in a new amity, and together, as Zimbabweans, trample upon racialism, tribalism and regionalism and work hard to reconstruct and rehabilitate our society as we reinvigorate our economic machinery."

Barely three years after this speech the army was unleashed in Matabeleland and ever since then the people of Zimbabwe have not experienced any meaningful peace. 

Regis Manyanya asks, "what peace? Is there justice in this world? Will some dictators be brought to justice one day, we wonder? There are still stories of Zimbabweans being subjected into slavery in some neighboring countries, some Zimbabweans are still languishing in detention for having had used a Malawian or South African passports to flee the regime in Zimbabwe."

“We have put up the show and invited distinguished speakers drawn from various professionals and politicians among Zimbabweans in the diaspora,” said Manyanya.

He said speakers were expected to explore various socio-economic and political challenges the country was facing. “The mood among Zimbabweans is that they don’t believe they are really free because of their situation back home." 

"The failed promises made by Mr Mugabe when he took office in 1980, and the plunder of our rich country will be the main topics?” he said. “I am therefore inviting Zimbabweans from all different background, tribe, colour (black and white) to come and join us in this important talk by distinguished and remarkable speakers,”

Links to earlier events in Nottingham:

2008 Zimbabwean Asylum Rights Demo @ Speakers Corner, Nottingham

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2008/03/395015.html

2008 Zimbabwe demo calling for release of election results

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2008/04/396975.html

2008 Full Circle Demo: From weapons to wars to refugees. Market Sq. Nottingham

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/12/414055.html

2009 Zimbabwe ‘Death of Democracy’ Gathering in Hyson Green, Nottingham

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/04/427943.html

2009 Zimbabwe ‘Death of Democracy’ Gathering in Hyson Green [Feature]

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2009/04/428179.html

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Zimbabwe Association for information and asylum assistance: 

Zimbabwe Association Ltd 

Development House 

56-64 Leonard Street 

London EC2A 4LT 

0207 549 0355 

info@zimbabweassociation.org.uk 

http://zimassoc.wordpress.com

Nottingham Zimbabwean Community Network 

http://www.nzcn.wordpress.com 

The Zim Diaspora

http://www.zimdiaspora.com

Zimbabwe Civic Action Support Group. Campaigning for freedom and democracy in Zimbabwe 

http://www.sokwanele.com

Zimbabwe Journalists Mark Press Freedom Day With Push for Open Airwaves

http://www.cadabrapress.com/?p=9871

____________________________________________

ALAN LODGE 

Photographer - Media: One Eye on the Road. Nottingham.  UK

Email:                 tash@indymedia.org

Web:                   http://digitaljournalist.eu

Member of the National Union of Journalists [NUJ]

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"It is not enough to curse the darkness.

                                   It is also necessary to light a lamp!!"

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