Dear ZIC supporter,
At our ZIC meeting in Sydney yesterday, we considered the dramatic developments this week and concluded that this confrontation between the people and the regime may well be the one that finally makes a break-through to a democratic transition. This is because the people appear both united and determined to maintain their strike, and have done so for a week despite massive repression and a government media campaign of blatant lies, and the regime, despite the massive mobilisation, does not seem to know what to do next.
Mrs Holland asked us to continue to make media releases and to write protest letters, including to African leaders.
We also decided to continue to search for loans to pay the Court Bond for the SBS defamation case, despite the lack of success so far.
And we will prepare for the visit to Sydney of the President of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions in August.
As part of the letter writing effort, I have composed two sets of letters. the first one is below, to African leaders.
I will send the second set in a separate email - these are to Australian, Commonwealth and UN leaders, as well as Mugabe.
Please adjust the letters to express your own feelings and ideas.
In solidarity,
Peter Murphy
June 6, 2003,
Mr Thabo Mbeki
President of the Republic of South Africa
Ph: 0011 27 12 300 5200
Fax: 0015 27 12 323 8246
Email: President@po.gov.za
Protest at massive repression in Zimbabwe
Dear President Mbeki,
The week of the June 2-5 national strike in Zimbabwe is the unambiguous statement of the people of Zimbabwe that the government of Robert Mugabe has no legitimacy and must immediately begin the process of transition to new national presidential and parliamentary elections.
The huge deployment of soldiers, police and armed militia by the Mugabe regime to prevent the mass demonstrations called by the Movement for Democratic Change is also an unambiguous statement - the only language that the government can use to speak to the people is force. This is completely unacceptable and unsustainable.
The vicious wave of night-time assaults and arrests, as well as beating of workers at bus stops and at workplaces, even the invasion of clinics, is a blatant act of state terror. It has been aimed particularly at trade union leaders and activists in the MDC structure as well as at the shop floor workers.
All the official rhetoric about "land is a central issue" is now exposed as the sham it has always been. This includes South Africa’s rhetoric, which has indulged the Mugabe regime as its divisive, violent and destructive campaign unfolded from the start of 2000.
The people of Zimbabwe have taken their fate into their hands. We who stood with them during the war of liberation must now show anew our solidarity as they fight desperately to enjoy the fruits of that terrible war of liberation which ended in 1979. We stood also with the African National Congress in its long fight for democracy, and so far have been greatly disappointed that the ANC government has not upheld the democratic rights of the people of Zimbabwe.
I call on the government of South Africa to take all possible urgent action, including sustained public criticism of events in Zimbabwe, and sustained pressure on its African neighbours to also condemn the Mugabe government’s massive repression, and to make more decisive economic sanctions to help bring Mugabe and Zanu-PF to the negotiating table.
Yours sincerely,
June 6, 2003,
President Olesegun Obasanjo of Nigeria
C/- His Excellency Dr Rufai Soule
High Commissioner for Nigeria
Ph: 02 6282 7411
Fax: 02 6282 8471
Email: chancery@nigeria-can.org.au
Protest at massive repression in Zimbabwe
Dear President Obasanjo,
The week of the June 2-5 national strike in Zimbabwe is the unambiguous statement of the people of Zimbabwe that the government of Robert Mugabe has no legitimacy and must immediately begin the process of transition to new national presidential and parliamentary elections.
The huge deployment of soldiers, police and armed militia by the Mugabe regime to prevent the mass demonstrations called by the Movement for Democratic Change is also an unambiguous statement - the only language that the government can use to speak to the people is force. This is completely unacceptable and unsustainable.
The vicious wave of night-time assaults and arrests, as well as beating of workers at bus stops and at workplaces, even the invasion of clinics, is a blatant act of state terror. It has been aimed particularly at trade union leaders and activists in the MDC structure as well as at the shop floor workers.
All the official rhetoric about "land is a central issue" is now exposed as the sham it has always been. This includes Nigeria’s rhetoric, which has indulged the Mugabe regime as its divisive, violent and destructive campaign unfolded from the start of 2000.
The people of Zimbabwe have taken their fate into their hands. We who stood with them during the war of liberation must now show anew our solidarity as they fight desperately to enjoy the fruits of that terrible war of liberation which ended in 1979.
I call on the government of Nigeria to take all possible urgent action, including sustained public criticism of events in Zimbabwe, and sustained pressure on its African neighbours to also condemn the Mugabe government’s massive repression, and to make more decisive economic sanctions to help bring Mugabe and Zanu-PF to the negotiating table.
Yours sincerely,
June 6, 2003,
H E Benjamin William Mkapa
President of the United Republic of Tanzania
C/- The Embassy of the United Republic of Tanzania,
Villa Tanzania,
Viale Cortina D'ampezzo 185
00135 ROME, ITALY
+39 - 06 334 85828
Email: balozi@tanzania-gov.it
Protest at massive repression in Zimbabwe
Dear President Mkapa,
The week of the June 2-5 national strike in Zimbabwe is the unambiguous statement of the people of Zimbabwe that the government of Robert Mugabe has no legitimacy and must immediately begin the process of transition to new national presidential and parliamentary elections.
The huge deployment of soldiers, police and armed militia by the Mugabe regime to prevent the mass demonstrations called by the Movement for Democratic Change is also an unambiguous statement - the only language that the government can use to speak to the people is force. This is completely unacceptable and unsustainable.
The vicious wave of night-time assaults and arrests, as well as beating of workers at bus stops and at workplaces, even the invasion of clinics, is a blatant act of state terror. It has been aimed particularly at trade union leaders and activists in the MDC structure as well as at the shop floor workers.
All the official rhetoric about "land is a central issue" is now exposed as the sham it has always been. This includes South Africa’s rhetoric, which has indulged the Mugabe regime as its divisive, violent and destructive campaign unfolded from the start of 2000.
The people of Zimbabwe have taken their fate into their hands. We who stood with them during the war of liberation must now show anew our solidarity as they fight desperately to enjoy the fruits of that terrible war of liberation which ended in 1979.
I call on the government of Tanzania to take all possible urgent action, including sustained public criticism of events in Zimbabwe, and sustained pressure on its African neighbours to also condemn the Mugabe government’s massive repression, and to make more decisive economic sanctions to help bring Mugabe and Zanu-PF to the negotiating table.
Yours sincerely,
June 6, 2003,
H E Emilio Mwai Kibaki, C.G.H., M.P.
President of the Republic of Kenya
C/- High Commission of Republic of Kenya
33 Ainslie Ave Canberra City 2601
Fax: (02) 6257 6613
Email: kenrep@austarmetro.com.au
Protest at massive repression in Zimbabwe
Dear President Kibaki,
The week of the June 2-5 national strike in Zimbabwe is the unambiguous statement of the people of Zimbabwe that the government of Robert Mugabe has no legitimacy and must immediately begin the process of transition to new national presidential and parliamentary elections.
The huge deployment of soldiers, police and armed militia by the Mugabe regime to prevent the mass demonstrations called by the Movement for Democratic Change is also an unambiguous statement - the only language that the government can use to speak to the people is force. This is completely unacceptable and unsustainable.
The vicious wave of night-time assaults and arrests, as well as beating of workers at bus stops and at workplaces, even the invasion of clinics, is a blatant act of state terror. It has been aimed particularly at trade union leaders and activists in the MDC structure as well as at the shop floor workers.
All the official rhetoric about "land is a central issue" is now exposed as the sham it has always been. This includes the rhetoric of other African leaders, which has indulged the Mugabe regime as its divisive, violent and destructive campaign unfolded from the start of 2000. Your own recent statements and those of Ghana and Senegal, calling for a genuine resolution of the democratic crisis in Zimbabwe, are therefore much appreciated.
The people of Zimbabwe have taken their fate into their hands. We who stood with them during the war of liberation must now show anew our solidarity as they fight desperately to enjoy the fruits of that terrible war of liberation which ended in 1979.
We call on the government of Kenya to take all possible urgent action, including sustained public criticism of events in Zimbabwe, and sustained pressure on its African neighbours to also condemn the Mugabe government’s massive repression, and to make more decisive economic sanctions to help bring Mugabe and Zanu-PF to the negotiating table. We believe that democracy in Zimbabwe is important for all of Africa and the world. Democracy is the only reliable path to genuine economic development, justice and peace.
Yours sincerely,
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