PRESS STATEMENT: SA LESBIAN AND GAY COMMUNITY CONCERNED ABOUT DEMOCRACY CRISIS IN ZIMBABWE

The South African Lesbian and Gay Equality Project (LGEP), formerly known as the National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality (NCGLE), is concerned about the deepening political, economic and social crises in Zimbabwe. We express our full solidarity with the lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, women, workers and all the people of Zimbabwe. We add our voice in condemning the unjustified delay in the release of the 29 March elections. As Zimbabwean Independence Day approaches on 18 April 2008, Zimbabweans have nothing to celebrate in honour of their heroic liberation struggle and historic achievement of freedom and democracy.

The actions of the government of Zimbabwe, the police, the army, the judiciary and the Zimbabwean Elections Commission are against universally accepted democratic principles and practice. The Zimbabwean government is responsible for the social and economic crises facing that country. The crises are rooted in actual social stratification processes and ZANU-PF policy choices that support them. These originate from the early 1990s adoption of neo-liberal Structural Adjustment Programmes by Mugabe’s government. They have been reinforced by the failure of that government to transform that country’s economy into one at the hands and service of the needs of the overwhelming majority of the people. It is under such conditions that principles of democracy, equality and non-discrimination get sacrificed and political leaders look for easy scapegoats to hide their failures. No wonder then that Mugabe’s first targets were lesbian and gay people in Zimbabwe.

The homophobia promoted by ZANU-PF is not divorced from the oppression of women, the exploitation of workers and the gross violation of human rights that the same government has been responsible for. Beyond majority numbers, democracy is also about progressive values of equality, freedom, human rights and non-discrimination.
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The “food riots” in Haiti are easy fodder for the media especially when no explanation is seen to be necessary. Try and find a single report with any historical background to the food crisis other than relating it to the overall food crisis across the global south and the rise in the West’s demand for bio-fuel. Once again the majority world feeds the minority world’s over consumption. A case of feeding the cars whilst starving the people.

Some facts about Haitian government’s spending (the Haitian government is not really a government - it’s a kind of proxy group of puppets working under the direction of the US).

Haiti’s government sends almost $1 million per week in loan payments to the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), much of which is payments on loans given to past dictators. That money could be better spent feeding Haitian citizens and stimulating Haiti’s economy.

But money (that Haiti doesn’t have) is not just being used for loan repayments . Not only has Britain been uncritical of MINUSTAH***’s many atrocities in Haiti they have been selling arms to Haiti. The most recent UK foreign office report dated 12th December, 2007 is revealing. Not just arms to Haiti but to their neighbour The Dominican Republic and to Columbia and Ecuador plus a host of other countries. So why does Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the world, need the following weapons including air-to-air missiles and components for submarines?

aircraft radars, air-to-air missiles launching equipment, air-to-surface missiles launching equipment, air-to-surface rockets launching equipment, bomb handling equipment, components for airborne electronic warfare equipment, components for aircraft carriers, components for aircraft radars, components for air-to-air missiles launching equipment, components for air-to-surface missiles, components for anti-ship missile launching equipment, components for anti-ship missiles, components for anti-ship missiles, components for antisubmarine rockets launching equipment, components for combat aircraft, components for combat helicopters, components for command communications control and intelligence equipment, components for corvettes, components for depth charges, components for electronic warfare equipment, components for fire control equipment, components for frigates

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Sokwanele

These photographs were taken the day before yesterday. The two men are MDC MT supporters based on Mashonaland East. They, and others, were viciously assaulted by Zanu PF militia on Tuesday night. Three houses were burned down in the same area in ongoing attacks. This must be stopped!

The Zimbabwean people have spoken in the elections. We said NO to violence and NO to lawlessness. This is a new Zimbabwe: we must not tolerate this abuse of our right to a peaceful democratic country, and this abuse of our people. We must stand together against tyranny. Take Action!

Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa has called an emergency meeting of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to discuss the Zimbabwean presidential poll delay. This is the first move by Zimbabwe’s regional neighbours to intervene since the elections on 29th March 2008. President Mwanawasa is the current Chairman of the 14-nation South African Development Community. This is what he said yesterday:

I wish to take this opportunity to commend the people of Zimbabwe for the calm and peaceful manner in which the elections were conducted.

Similarly, I appeal to them to maintain the same spirit of calmness which they exhibited during the elections as they await the results of the presidential elections.

However, given developments immediately following the elections, I have decided, as Chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to call an extraordinary summit on Saturday 12th April, 2008 to discuss ways and means of assisting the people of Zimbabwe with the current impasse as well as adopt a co-ordinated approach to the situation in that country.

WHAT YOU CAN DO AND HOW YOU CAN DO IT

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Zimbzbwe
Elections

***Two new blogs from South Africa’s shackdweller movement. The Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign is an umbrella body for 15 community organisations. The body was formed in 2000 with the aim of

of fighting evictions, water cut-offs and poor health services, obtaining free electricity, securing decent housing, and opposing police brutality.

***Shackdwellers: Housing Struggles Worldwide is a collection of feeds from housing movements world wide some general movement reports and a little commentary. This is a work in progress which also supports Abahlali, Ota Benga Alliance (DR of Congo) and Fazel Khan who was dismissed in 2006 for criticising the University of KwaZula Natal - the site reports on lack of academic freedom and freedom of expression in South African universities.

***More food riots in Haiti. The riots started in Les Cayes and have now spread to Port-au-Prince and Gonaives as up to Cap Haitian. UN forces have been deployed on the streets and at least 5 people have been killed with more injured.

The Causes: via AIDG Blog

* The cost of staples such as rice, beans, food and condensed milk have increased by 50%. The majority of Haitians (80% of the population) live below the poverty line and most of Haiti’s food is imported.
* Humanitarian aid has been held up in customs, with much simply rotting. .
* Oh and of course, the Haitian government is broke, flat broke.

***The Greatest Silence: Rape in the DRC

shot in the war zones of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), shatters the silence that surrounds the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. Many tens of thousands of women and girls have been systematically kidnapped, raped, mutilated and tortured by soldiers from both foreign militias and the Congolese army. A survivor of gang rape herself, Emmy Award®-winning filmmaker Lisa F. Jackson travels through the DRC to understand what is happening and why.

Tags:
Jean “Binta” Breeze
Grenada