Young Voices Network yesterday launched their “Seven Point Manifesto On Ending Homelessness” at their offices. In doing this Young Voices Network, hopes to enrich the public debate about Operation Restore Order with considered recommendations sourced from those Zimbabweans who were directly affected. Young Voices Network also hopes to engage with policy makers on the issues that affect you in Hatcliffe and Hatcliffe extension and influence the political and policy reform processes.

Speaking at the launch Young Voices Network Co-ordinator Tayiona Sanagurai said that the Manifesto was a culmination of a theatre for development dialogue. The process involved the youth in Hatcliffe creating a drama, which was performed for residents of their community, followed by an open discussion. Mr Sanangurai cautioned however, that the Manifesto was not a panacea for ending homelessness.

“We are trying to get people to look at homelessness” he said, “[the Manifesto] provides pointers to policymakers.”

Included in the presenting panel were two outspoken youths, Brave and Patience, from Hatcliffe extension. Amidst several contributions from members of the audience that the youths should ‘find projects to generate income and occupy their time’, Brave detailed why this was not possible. He recounted how he and a colleague had managed to start a potato cultivation project, but when they needed to acquire funding from CBZ to grow their business, they were rejected, as they were unable to supply proof of residence.

“There are no water or electricity services where we live. So we don’t have the bills.”

While Hatcliffe Extension residents have been issued lease agreements by the government, banks refuse to recognise these as legal documents. Thus youths in Hatcliffe are unable to open bank accounts or obtain loans.

Mr. Sanagurai elaborated on the difficult situation of Hatcliffe Extension residents, adding that several municipalities, including Harare City Council and Ministry of Local Government claimed jurisdiction of the area. This state of contention left residents without any proper representation of their interests. “Government uses uncoordinated and inconsistent policies, which leads to a lack of accountability,” he said.

The Manifesto asks the government to create a policy environment that guarantees the rights of citizens to housing, health services, and the benefits of full citizenship. It asks that policymakers commit to the goal of addressing the after effects of Operation Murambatsvina, and ensure that government departments at all levels work together effectively, and with the voluntary sector to prevent homelessness.

Munyaradzi Gwisai and the five other activists who were convicted of “conspiracy to commit acts of public violence” on Monday will not serve time in jail.

Today, they were sentenced to a USD 500 fine and two years of prison each – but the first year of the prison sentence was suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour, and the other year was suspended provided each completes 420 hours.

The Magistrate says the court took a compassionate approach. The defence will appeal the conviction and the community service.

In court today the defence for Munyaradzi Gwisai +5 argued for a fine rather than a custodial sentence. The fine can be up to $2,000 each – lawyer argued for $500 each. The prison term can be up to 10 years. The sentence to be handed down tomorrow afternoon.

Since the Magistrate said yesterday, in handing down the guilty verdict, “I see no iota of evidence that any Zimbabwean ever contemplated a Tunisian and Egyptian revolution,” let’s hope reason prevails on him at last, and the convicted six are sentenced only to a fine.

Zimbabwe ISO leader Munyaradzi Gwisai and five other activists have been found guilty by the Zimbabwean government of “inciting public disorder”, after they organised a film showing and discussion at the Labour Centre in Harare about the Egyptian uprising in February last year. The conviction gives the Zimbabwe government a green light to persecute and prosecute ordinary people for watching a film, conversing about current affairs, or discussing events as they unfold in another country.

The ISO activists will be sentenced today and face up to 10 years’ imprisonment.

You may well ask what any of us can do in the face of this authoritarianism. Whilst it may be difficult to show your outrage publicly for fear of reprisal – which is very real – we urge you to continue to inform yourselves about the human rights situation in Zimbabwe and other countries, like Egypt and Syria.

The fact is thousands of Zimbabweans were watching footage of the Egyptian uprising last year. And thousands of Zimbabweans were discussing those events at the office, in their homes and over cold ones in pubs. The majority of people discussing the Arab uprising probably all agreed on one thing: that similar events were unlikely to happen in Zimbabwe. But still we all carried on discussing and arguing. Debate and discourse is a central part of all our lives.

We have a fundamental right to freedom of expression.

Kubatana urges you to use exercise it whenever and wherever you can.

We are all Munyaradzi Gwisai.

Harare magistrate Kudakwashe Jarabini yesterday delivered a ruling in the Munyaradzi Gwisai and five others’ case in which they are accused of inciting public violence. Mr. Jarabini found the accused guilty on charges of inciting public violence. Before he found the accused guilty, Mr. Jarabini addressed the court and he said, “It is not an offence to view video footage, the motive behind viewing of the footage of events which took place in Egypt and Tunisia on that particular day was not for a good cause and was meant to instill feelings of hostility against the government.”

Gwisai is jointly charged with fellow activists Welcome Zimuto, Hopewell Gumbo, Antonater Choto, Tatenda Mombeyarara, and Edson Chakuma. The charges arose from a meeting, which was convened at the offices of the International Socialist Organisation – Zimbabwe Chapter in Harare in February 2011. Forty-five people were arrested during the meeting and later charged with treason. Treason charges were later dropped and 39 people were released in March after spending close three weeks in prison.  The state later preferred a lesser charged of inciting public violence after High Court Judge Samuel Nyakudya ruled that the case against Gwisai and his colleagues was weak.

” I see no iota of evidence that any Zimbabwean ever contemplated a Tunisian and Egyptian revolution,” Nyakudya said in his ruling.

The case was referred back to the magistrates Courts for trial after the accused had been granted $2000.00 bail each by the High Court. Defence led by prominent human rights lawyer Alec Muchadehama successfully sought for an adjournment to today to prepare for mitigation. Under section 36 of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act, public violence attracts a prison sentence of up to ten years, a fine or both.

In one of the most ridiculous turn of events yet witnessed in the absurd drama called politics in Zimbabwe, the International Socialist Organisation‘s Munyaradzi Gwisai and his five co-accused (Antoinette Choto, Tatenda Mombeyarara, Edson Chakuma, Hopewell Gumbo and Welcome Zimuto) have been found guilty of conspiracy to incite public violence with a view to overthrowing the unity government.

Their sentencing is tomorrow, and the crime carries a prison term of up to ten years.

The six, and 39 others, were arrested on 19 February last year at a meeting convened by the International Socialist Organisation-Zimbabwe to discuss events in Tunisia and Egypt, and their implications for Zimbabwe. At the meeting, the group watched a video of news clips of events in Egypt, and heard a few prepared remarks from invited speakers, but actually had not even proceeded to the group discussion part of the event to even mention ideas such as public violence or overthrowing the unity government, before the meeting, which had been infiltrated, was raided by police and all participants were arrested.

On top of everything else, the notion that 45 people were gathered in Harare to discuss overthrowing the unity government – in a meeting which had been circulated via email and was open knowledge – is absurd. In an environment as repressive as Zimbabwe’s if I wanted to overthrow the government, I certainly wouldn’t announce my intentions to do so via email, nor would I invite anyone other than my closest friends into the discussion – in other words, it wouldn’t be me and my 44 acquaintances and colleagues.

To add insult to injury, the state’s case – on the back of which these 6 have been convicted – was founded solely on the testimony of the infiltrator mentioned above. This turned out to be Rodwell Chitiyo – aka Johnathan Shoko – who falsified his most basic personal information under oath, and who was exposed when the defence shared information from his Facebook page – under his real name.

One would have thought this would be enough to completely undermine both the witness and his testimony. But Magistrate Kudakwashe Jarabini, who handed down the guilty verdict, clearly has his own idea of what “perjury” actually means.

In February, Gwisai and his original 44 co-accused were detained for 16 nights before 39 were released, and the charges against them dropped. Gwisai and the 5 remaining defendants spent an additional 11 nights inside and were only released on 18 March. At the time of their release, the judge observed that the State case appeared weak, there being little in the facts presented to him to suggest a plot to topple the President.

This incarceration, for doing nothing more than watching some news footage and talking about current events, was already in itself unjust and inhumane, and has left physical and psychological impacts on all 45 of the original accused and their families, as was highlighted in a number of moving testimonials including:

• When is Baba coming home? – Interview with Munyaradzi Gwisai’s partner Shantha Bloemen
• One day I will find a way – Interview with the wife of one of Gwisai’s co-accused

The idea of convicting Gwisai +5, and imprisoning them for even one more day – never mind ten years – is an act beyond reason, justice or moral decency.

Protest the verdict

If you are in Johannesburg, join the picket at the Zimbabwe embassy on Tuesday 20th March from 12 – 1pm, at 13 Boeing Street West, Bedfordview (on the opposite side of the road to East Gate shopping Mall).

If you are anywhere else, please SMS your messages of protest and rejection of the guilty verdict to:

• Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena + 263 712 801 172
• Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri + 263 712 808 290
• Police Minister Kembo Mohadi +263 712 605 424
• Security Minister Didymus Mutasa +263 712 200 532

And if you have any better ideas as to how else we can protest this flagrant subversion of justice, please let us know!