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.