Stop the silence, protesters demand

A GROUP of human rights activists, organised by the Media Institute of Southern Africa, marched in Windhoek on Friday to demonstrate their anger at the silence from SADC countries on the deteriorating security situation in Zimbabwe.

The demonstrators claimed that the silence from the regional countries had sent out a signal that they condoned the “frightening” human rights abuses in Zimbabwe. “The events that have transpired in Zimbabwe spell a frightening turn in the political development of our region, especially in light of the deafening silence of our governments and political leaders.Does their silence mean they condone the actions of the Zimbabwe government?” said a Misa petition read out near the Zimbabwean High Commission.Police cordoned off the street leading to the High Commission despite an earlier promise that the demonstrators would be allowed to reach the front door to hand over the petition, and diplomats from that country refused to come out to receive it.Speaking to the demonstrators, Misa’s Regional Director, Kaitira Kandjii, said: “The public demands clarity and intervention from governments, as intervention aimed at restoring the dignity of a people to whom the rest of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region has often looked to for guidance and solace in their times of political struggle.”Some of the posters carried by the protesters read: ‘Silence not in our name’, ‘Stop Bob’, ‘Mugabe respect human rights’, ‘Bob your time is up’, ‘Mugabe must go’ and ‘We can be silent no longer! It is not neighbourly’.Phil ya Nangoloh, executive director of the National Society for Human Rights, said SADC needs “to collectively and publicly reprimand Mugabe”.”As an example set by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and UN Rights High Commissioner Louse Arbour, the UN Security Council must address the situation in Zimbabwe, a situation which threatens international peace and security,” he said.He called for “additional targeted sanctions” to be instituted against the Mugabe regime.”The situation in Zimbabwe is reminiscent of what had been going on in South Africa under the apartheid regime.And there was no question on whether or not to impose comprehensive economic and other sanctions against the apartheid regime then,” he said.”The events that have transpired in Zimbabwe spell a frightening turn in the political development of our region, especially in light of the deafening silence of our governments and political leaders.Does their silence mean they condone the actions of the Zimbabwe government?” said a Misa petition read out near the Zimbabwean High Commission.Police cordoned off the street leading to the High Commission despite an earlier promise that the demonstrators would be allowed to reach the front door to hand over the petition, and diplomats from that country refused to come out to receive it.Speaking to the demonstrators, Misa’s Regional Director, Kaitira Kandjii, said: “The public demands clarity and intervention from governments, as intervention aimed at restoring the dignity of a people to whom the rest of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region has often looked to for guidance and solace in their times of political struggle.”Some of the posters carried by the protesters read: ‘Silence not in our name’, ‘Stop Bob’, ‘Mugabe respect human rights’, ‘Bob your time is up’, ‘Mugabe must go’ and ‘We can be silent no longer! It is not neighbourly’.Phil ya Nangoloh, executive director of the National Society for Human Rights, said SADC needs “to collectively and publicly reprimand Mugabe”.”As an example set by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and UN Rights High Commissioner Louse Arbour, the UN Security Council must address the situation in Zimbabwe, a situation which threatens international peace and security,” he said.He called for “additional targeted sanctions” to be instituted against the Mugabe regime.”The situation in Zimbabwe is reminiscent of what had been going on in South Africa under the apartheid regime.And there was no question on whether or not to impose comprehensive economic and other sanctions against the apartheid regime then,” he said.