Udviklingen i Zimbabwe

ZIMBABWE - BROKEN PROMISES OR PROGRESS?

- En aften om Zimbabwe, den globale aftale, EUs sanktioner, Diamanter og et land i kaos.

I dag forsøger Zimbabwe at komme sig oven på det politiske og økonomiske kaos som præsidentvalget i 2008 medførte. Men kan den formelle implementering af demokratiske reformer og dannelsen af en
samlingsregering, med Robert Mugabe (ZANU-PF) som præsident og Morgan
Tsvangirei (MDC) som premierminister, skabe reelle politiske og
økonomiske fremskridt i et land der døjer med politisk undertrykkelse
og internationale sanktioner?

Mød to menneskerettighedsaktivister og eksperter i Zimbabweanske forhold, Earnest Mudzengi og Venitia Govender, og hør om udviklingen i Zimbabwe lige nu med udgangspunkt i samlingsregeringen, volden og  menneskerettighederne. Hør videre om hvordan de mener befolkningen i Zimbabwe bør bruge en folkelig forankret forfatnings-proces til at løfte landet ud af det politiske og økonomiske kaos som det synkere dybere og dybere ned i.

De to gæster fra Zimbabwe:

Venitia Govender

Is a social justice and human rights activist and has been involved in the related fields of research, lobbying and advocacy, monitoring and challenging the promotion and protection of rights for over 20 years.

In the 1980's she graduated from the volatile University of Durban Westville, with a law degree. In the early nineties, during the height of the height of the violence that marred the transition in South Africa, she was co-ordinator of the independent violence monitoring organisation, Peace Action. She was the first coordinator of the Police and Prison Officers Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) and then a legal advisor to Gauteng's Secretariat of Safety and Security.

Venitia spent three years as the National Director of the Human Rights Committee before becoming an independent consultant on human rights, governance and peace building issues, working throughout the Southern African region. During this period she edited quarterly reports on the “state of human rights promotion and protection” in South Africa. As well as a quarterly review on the role and the implementation of mandate of Human rights institutions in Southern Africa. Over the last 10 years Venitia have been involved in re-establishing the solidarity linkages between Zimbabwe/SA beyond the bounds of leadership and as such was the coordinator of the Save Zimbabwe Campaign and recently the Swaziland Democracy campaign.

Over the last 18 years she have accumulated a diverse and extensive network of contacts/information (both individual and organizations) at the levels of civil society and government in SADC.

EARNEST MUDZENGI

Earnest Mudzengi did his High school in Gweru. He later moved to the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) where he attained a Masters degree in Media and Communication Studies in 2001. While at UZ, Mudzengi was actively involved in student activism becoming the Chairperson of the UZ Political Orientation Committee in 1997. He was also a special Adviser to the Student Representative Council (SRC) between 1996 and 1997.

In 2002, Mudzengi joined the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) as Information and Advocacy Officer. He has been detained by police on several occasions. At one point, he was detained for four days without trial, being severely assaulted. Mudzengi is currently the Director of the NCA apart from being a part time media studies lecturer with the Zimbabwe Open University where he has assisted with the authoring of a number of modules in disciplines that include political communication, investigative journalism, media management and others.

Mudzengi’s passion lies with the respect for Human Rights and has resolved not to give up the fight until Zimbabwe has a framework of governance that guarantees the respect for Human Rights.

Yderligere oplysninger fra Zimbabwe-gruppen på zimbabwe@afrika.dk