A Day In The Diaspora | Zimbabwe Democracy Now

Zanu-PF wants Kariba Draft, not constitutional reform

Posted by Nxwala on March 17, 2010

The government has deployed outreach teams to consult the Zimbabwean people on the new constitution, hoping to make the document ready before next year’s general elections. But I do not think a new constitutional document will be completed in Zimbabwe. Zanu-PF wants the Kariba draft to form the basis of the new constitution, while the MDC wants the new constitution to be “people-driven.” If ...

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Torture camps reemerge

Posted by Nxwala on March 14, 2010

Signs are slowly showing that Zanu-PF is starting to prepare for the elections, which many strongly believe will be next year. Torture camps are cropping up, which is a clear indication that Mugabe will call for elections soon, if not next year. The militia and the war veterans are the backbone that has made Zanu-PF win the elections since 2000. Most of the militia camps were disbanded after the r...

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Bishop Paul Verryn suspension a big blow to Methodist Church refugees

Posted by Nxwala on March 13, 2010

It has been a long battle for Zimbabwean refugees who are staying in the Central Methodist Church in Johannesburg. The Municipality is trying to resettle them in another place they call suitable for residential purposes, something that the refugees and the Bishop do not support and pledged to not give up easily. I suspect this is why he was recently suspended from the church. But without the Bisho...

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Meeting refugees in Botswana

Posted by Nxwala on March 12, 2010

Our blogger recently took a trip to Botswana to see how Zimbabwean refugees are faring there. Refugees in different countries in Africa face similar problems to what we face here in South Africa. In South Africa, refugees have been faced by the problems of xenophobia, unlawful arrest and detention in various police stations and a repatriation centre called Lindela. Lindela is one of the biggest...

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Matabeleland youth network pass a helping hand to Haiti victims

Posted by Nxwala on March 4, 2010

From victim to victim, youth from Zimbabwe are helping those who are in pain after the earthquake that almost destroyed Haiti. The Matabeleland Youth Network (MYN) met on 27 January to donate money to the victims in Haiti, which was broadcast on South African television. These youth are victims of Zimbabwe violence and the Gukurahundi genocide that swept their parents from 1982 to 1987 and killed ...

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Tensions between Zimbabweans who have been in SA for a long time…

Posted by Nxwala on December 23, 2009

...and those who have just arrived. Do these groups try and help each other? Many Zimbabweans all over the world started migrating during the liberation struggle and later during the times of Gukurahundi, and the number rose to millions in the late nineties. Many civic organizations were then formed in a way to help refugees with food, health services and accommodation provisions. I believe muc...

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Zim black market still a problem

Posted by Nxwala on November 16, 2009

A Day in the Diaspora - Nxwala Ncube I have just got back from a trip to Zimbabwe and it appears Zanu PF can’t block everything that is being achieved. I think Zimbabwe will be back on its feet. There’s a big change that is taking place in Zimbabwe. There are some problems here and there but people are now managing to survive. In Gwanda, I saw that people are managing to travel from point A t...

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Bribery makes travelling home difficult

Posted by Nxwala on November 12, 2009

A Day in the Diaspora - Nxwala Ncube Everything was normal until I reached the Beitbridge border. As soon as I left the border there was no tarred road, it was gravel. I do not know what all the money which they charge at customs is used for. I think it is supposed to be used to repair the road and improve the infrastructure there at the border gate but this is not the case. The place is dry ther...

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Bypassing of the MDC elements in government affairs

Posted by Nxwala on November 6, 2009

A Day in the Diaspora - Nxwala Ncube After the signing of the political agreement last year September there are still outstanding issues especially for the MDC that has not been resolved up to now. Maybe it is because MDC promised the people will not engage themselves in any agreement if the human rights activist Jestina Mukoko is not set free. Two days later when Morgan visited the activist in j...

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Police, soldiers in Jo’burg streets demand bribes

Posted by Nxwala on November 2, 2009

A Day in the Diaspora - Nxwala Ncube The police in Johannesburg have introduced the stop and search operation, targeted at foreigners. This is supposed to be a good move because it was introduced to offer safety for the 2010 World Cup. But the police are abusing the move for their personal gain. I experienced this firsthand. I’m not currently working as it is difficult for foreigners to get ...