Attached please find a Press Statement from Paul Kazingizi, chairman of Birmingham Branch, about a demonstration they are holding on Saturday in Birmingham. Also attached find his picture, seated with his vice-chairman, Solomon Uncle Solo Matshoba (standing). Below is the text from the Press Statement MM - Press Officer 07/07/14 Press Statement Demonstration 12/7/14, Irrational EU Zimbabwe Policy UK-based Zimbabweans are set to demonstrate in the West Midlands City of Birmingham on Saturday to call attention to the oppressive regime from which they fled. There is a deteriorating political and economic situation in Zimbabwe which Western countries do no seem to understand, especially the European Union which is being misinformed by its Ambassador in Harare. Ambassador, Dell ‘Aricca has been quoted saying that there is no crisis in Zimbabwe where democratic forces are being suppressed, elections are being rigged, the state President is encouraging lawlessness to assure himself another electoral victory. We are calling for the EU to recall this ambassador, and to start implementing a rational policy on Zimbabwe. We hear that the EU is now set to totally relax the remaining targeted sanctions on President Mugabe’s family on November 1. In February the EU Foreign Minister, Mrs Catherine Ashton, published a Press Statement in which the EU removed the remaining restrictive measures, except on – President Mugabe and his wife, claiming to have done so to support Zimbabwean people to achieve a more prosperous and democratic future. This was despite the EU being seriously concerned about the significant weaknesses identified in the 31 July 2013 election and the lack of transparency identified by the SADC, AU and monitors, which Mrs Ashton said called into doubt the credibility of the election. Further, she said, the EU believed that significant improvements were required if future elections were to be credible and transparent, particularly, progress on verification of the voter’s roll, liberalization of the media, and completing outstanding reforms, including those related to the security sectors. The Harare regime has not only failed to do even one of the above, but also refused to implement constitutional amendments passed by Parliament, which would protect free and fair elections. Zimbabweans now believe that the 2018 general election has already been rigged. And only last week the state President encouraged seizures of white-owned farms - the same ruinous and racist economic policies that have now seen the economy deteriorating to crisis levels, also because of corruption. Ambassador Dell Aricca is therefore clearly out of touch with what is going on in Zimbabwe. But while it is the EUs prerogative to relax the targeted sanctions that it had imposed on President Mugabe because of his violations of human rights, the EU should not try to convince us, the victims of those violations, that something has changed. We continue to demand free and fair elections in Zimbabwe, especially now in order to rescue Zimbabwe’s future which is clearly in peril with President Mugabes misrule and corruption. On behalf of the youths of Zimbabwe who were promised 2 million jobs in the election campaign, but who have only lived to see the economy hemorrhaging jobs, as company after company closes, we are also demanding that the Zanu (PF) government live up to its promise. The demonstration will be held in Chamberlain Square Map on Saturday 12 July 2014, starting at 12:30 for one hour. All Zimbabweans are invited and urged to bring their families to the demonstration. For any further information please contact me on the mobile telephone number below. Yours faithfully Paul Kazingizi Chairman: Birmingham Branch, Movement for Democratic Change 07722556006 Press Inquiries Makusha Mugabe czeditornew@googlemail 7503322918
Posted on: Mon, 07 Jul 2014 11:38:48 +0000