19th September 2021

On Saturday the 18th of September 2021 the Midlands branch of the UK Chapter of Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR) Zimbabwe held a meeting on zoom and a Twitter Space. The meeting was chaired by Nicolate Gwati.

Register of attendance
Nicolate Gwati, , Malvern Dengu, Laina Murape, Harriet Ndlovu, Millicent Nyangani, Nomagugu Sibanda, Shamiso Bhobho, Emma Josaya

Agenda

  1. Welfare check-up on the members
  2. Update on current human rights violations in Zimbabwe
  3. Encourage members to use Twitter spaces
  4. Any Other Business

Meeting started at 14:00

Welfare check-up on the members
The meeting resolved that all branch executive committees of the UK Chapter should continue to carry out regular welfare checks on members and identify those who are most vulnerable so that they can be given support and guidance.

Update on current human rights violations in Zimbabwe
The meeting got an update on the current human rights situation and noted a continuing trend of persecution of political and human rights activists as well as professionals such as journalists, lawyers and other judicial officers.

Encourage members to use Twitter spaces

Twitter Spaces

ROHR Zimbabwe UK chapter recently hosted a successful Twitter Space. The topic was “I am an Activist, does Activism work?”
The Twitter space was attended by 108 activists including a number of prominent activists on the ground in Zimbabwe and those in the diaspora. The consensus was activism works.
Some of the issues that were raised with regards to how activism is hindered in Zimbabwe were as follows:

  • The high-handed conduct of the police whereby they beat up and arrest citizens for exercising their Constitutional rights and freedoms.
  • The police are not impartial.
  • The judiciary has been compromised and captured.

How can we make activism more effective?

  • It was suggested that activism needs to be targeted and not general
  • The issue needs to be well researched to ensure credibility
  • When something happens, you need to fight for it there and then whilst it is still fresh in people’s minds
  • For activism to be effective we also need to push for policy change so that the laws align with what we are fighting for
  • Activists also need to be well trained so that their cases can be compelling
  • We need to increase our capacity to gather information and present that information to key players

How can activism be effective in a country like Zimbabwe where there is persecution of activists?

  • They need to use modern communication means like mobile phones and computers to engage on the internet
  • We need to have better connectivity with others who are also fighting for the same cause.
  • We need to use images containing the reality that we want to put across as people tend to connect more with pictures
  • There needs to be more deliberate organising so that there is more of a movement and less of individuals to avoid people being arrested
  1. Any Other Business
    There was no other business.

The twitter space ended at 1920hrs