{"id":777,"date":"2019-07-26T09:34:02","date_gmt":"2019-07-26T09:34:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rohr-zimbabwe.org\/?p=777"},"modified":"2019-07-26T13:01:51","modified_gmt":"2019-07-26T13:01:51","slug":"rohr-zimbabwe-scotland-branch-launch-meeting-saturday-20th-july-2019-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rohr-zimbabwe.org\/index.php\/2019\/07\/26\/rohr-zimbabwe-scotland-branch-launch-meeting-saturday-20th-july-2019-report\/","title":{"rendered":"ROHR Zimbabwe Scotland Branch Launch Meeting Saturday 20th July 2019 Report"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On Saturday 20th July 2019 Restoration of Human\nRights (ROHR) Zimbabwe human rights activists from various cities and towns in\nthe UK converged at Motel One, 78 \u2013 82 Oswald\nStreet, Glasgow G1 4PL, Scotland for a meeting\nand the official launch of the Scotland Branch of the UK Chapter of ROHR\nZimbabwe. The meeting was chaired by Panyika Karimanzira (Board member and\nSpokesperson for ROHR Zimbabwe). It started at 15:00 hrs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, officiating at the meeting was another Board\nmember, Delina Mutyambizi who, together with two other ROHR Zimbabwe members\nMagadaline Moyo and Estery Dhliwayo had travelled all the way from Manchester\nto partake in this special event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The meeting was a culmination of a process, the\nbrainchild of Olivia Chamboko that started with the\ncoming together of members resident in Scotland to form a branch. After a\nperiod of caucusing via a bespoke WhatsApp group they then agreed on a date for\nthe official launch of the Scotland branch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Register of attendance<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Olivia\nChamboko, Alvina Chibhamu, Vongayi Mufara, Edward Rhappozzoh, Lindah Chenyama,\nAbigail Chidavayenzi, Sean Chipango, Delina Mutyambizi, Estery Dhliwayo,\nMagadaline Moyo and Panyika Karimanzira.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apologies were received from Don Mangisi, Bethuli\nMakuwe and Margaret Jenkins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upon calling the meeting to order at 15:00 hrs\nPanyika Karimanzira asked for self-introductions before delving into the\nbusiness of the day. He went on to narrate the history of Restoration of Human\nRights (ROHR) Zimbabwe first before explaining, in detail, the roles and\nresponsibilities of each portfolio (Chairperson, Secretary, Organizing\nSecretary, Treasurer, Information & Publicity Secretary, Committee Members,\nFundraising Committee Members and, where relevant, their deputies).\nParticipants were afforded an opportunity to ask questions or seek further\nclarification and the Chairperson duly obliged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Delina Mutyambizi explained, in detail, the role of\nOrganizing Secretary and also took questions from the floor on this topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Magadaline Moyo, the LGBT Coordinator, explained the importance of activism, networking and forging alliances with other human rights organizations and social movements, e.g. LIST and LGBT Foundation, both of which are LGBT organisations in Manchester of which she is also a member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once everyone had confirmed that they had\nunderstood what would be expected of them if they were nominated and accepted a\nrole in the new Branch\u2019s executive committee, the chairperson called for the\nnomination and election process to start in earnest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The process was presided over by the two Board\nmembers present. The process led to the election of individuals into\nportfolios. At the end of the process Delina Mutyambizi officially announced the\nnew executive committee of the Scotland Branch of the UK Chapter of Restoration\nof Human Rights (ROHR) Zimbabwe as follows;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new Scotland Branch<\/strong> committee <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chairperson: <\/strong>Olivia Chamboko<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secretary: <\/strong>Alvina Chibhamu<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organizing Secretary<\/strong>: Vongayi Mufara<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Treasurer:<\/strong> Abigail\nWadzanayi Chidavayenzi<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Information &\nPublicity Secretary<\/strong>: Sean Chipango (acting) with the assistance of Olivia Chamboko <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fundraising Committee\nMember<\/strong>: Lindah\nChenyama<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Committee Member<\/strong>: Don Mangisi<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Committee Member<\/strong>: Edward Rhappozzoh<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the usual congratulatory civilities\nand protocols Panyika Karimanzira handed over the chairing of the meeting to\nthe newly elected Chairperson of the Scotland branch committee, Olivia Chamboko\nto mark the official birth of the branch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Olivia Chamboko led a robust discussion covering several topics including the potential of the new branch, the recruitment of new members, campaigns, demonstrations, petitions and networking. Everyone in the meeting participated in the ensuing discussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apart from campaigns, demonstrations and petitions, Delina Mutyambizi\nchallenged the new branch to come up with practical ways to further the human\nrights cause. She gave examples of some of the practical ways in which ROHR Zimbabwe\nuplifted the lives of the disadvantaged in the past. This included the donation\nof lingerie to female prisoners in Zimbabwe, the payment of school fees for\nchildren from poor backgrounds, the micro-finance project and the ongoing\ndistribution of stationery to needy schools in Zimbabwe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On campaigns, Delina Mutyambizi proposed that the new branch considers,\nas part of its programmes, stepping up the campaign for Paul Westwood, a former\nZimbabwean businessman whose business was usurped by a prominent ruling party\npolitician in Zimbabwe and who was subsequently hounded into exile by the said\nZimbabwean politician. Paul Westwood now lives in Scotland. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abigail Chidavayenzi described\nhow she had since established contact and rapport with a prominent human rights\nactivist on the ground in Zimbabwe and how the new branch could benefit from\nthis relationship. The meeting agreed to pursue this matter further together\nwith that of potential networking partners mentioned by Sean Chipango.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vongayi Mufara, Lindah Chenyama\nand Edward Rhappozoh were upbeat about their new roles and each promised\nmaximum effort in seeing to the success of the new branch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During her closing remarks, Olivia Chamboko singled out the following members for a special vote of thanks; –<\/p>\n\n\n\n