Communities Rising above Resistance

Tawanda Kuwengwa

I would like to take a stroll in the memory lane and just reflect on some of the things that we experienced last year 2011

Amandla held a workshop on 25^th May 2011 on challenges on community activities by social movements and grassroots Organisations.

The community based Organisation that participated were from Harare East, High Glen and Chitungwiza. The workshop was an attempt to find alternative ways to deal with the political environment that is closing all the open spaces for community activities and chocking community activities.

Amandla Centre of Zimbabwe has even flagged some regions as red zone because of the political meltdown in the inclusive Government.

This is coming from the back drop of incidents and continuous threats from political parties and police barring some of the activities to take place.

This is how the democratic space has diminished and failure of vibrant community activities to take place.

In Budiriro their incidents that that ZANU (PF) youth a taking over the meetings and workshops and turn them into political meetings.

In Mbare they have even beat up participants in a workshop because it had not been sanction by ZANU (PF) youth and similar incidents have occurred in Chitungwiza.

Political leaders are continuously using hate speech and criminalizing all Civic activities that are taking place in Communities regime change agenda.

The rate of political motivated violence in these communities such as the High Glen region is escalating and in many cases some activities have failed to see the light of the day.

Community based Organisations are mobilizing for the Constitution referendum and way forward which is a very important process in the Constitution making process.

This spirit of meaningful contribution is now being threatened by failure of getting clearance from the police and the potential political attack form political party youth who have now sanction activities in Communities. The major role of the workshop is to encourage Organisations to engage into non violent tactics which should promote the constitution making process.

The participants shared their experiences from their communities and how difficulty has turned to hold activities.

The workshop managed to come up with recommendations and tactics to remain active and maintain contributions in the Constitution making process.

The spirit lives on through this year as we come to the end of the 2012.