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.

Chipo Musonza

The Advocacy and Campaigns units have mandated themselves to  work towards community development. the units will embark on a community watch exercises to find areas that need attention for redress. Coordinators will visit communities and meet focal persons who will guide them to make sure the units deliver.

This project is a watch dog to the people in the community, it will be basically focusing on issues that are happening in the communities so that they can be brought to  limelight when necessary.

This project will also be engaging the local government ie the local members of parliament, councilors and ordinary people from the communities.

It is our intention that the community watch project will lead into the development of  the community watch newspaper, which will be running on a monthly basis until the time when we will be able to do it on a weekly basis.

It will also involve everyone in the community as stakeholders  because what happens in the  community affects the community so the community itself has to take a leading role, {NOTHING FOR US WITHOUT US }.

AREAS TO BE COVERED WITH THE PROJECT

Social justice

Gender issues

Local  authority activities

Service  delivery system

OBJECTIVES OF PROJECT

Informing the communities to address  issue that are happening in the communities to expose some of the injustices happening in the communities, task the local authorities to take action in every issue  that needs attention and  develop  communities  by bringing  positive  change and create  a better life.

VISION 

To create  communities that are transparent and brings  positive change to the  people.

RESULT BASED APPROACH

This project will be  using the result based approach  to make sure that every issue will be brought to lime light ,will be attended and must  bring  results _this process will also be using the bottom up strategy  hence we will heavily engage  the communities for raw information from our stake holders

WORKING STRATEGY

We are going to apply the  situation ,task ,action and results strategy {S.T.A.R },we will make sure we analyze the situations of the matter  and  we will task ourselves to  action to bring tangible results .a lot will be involved especially on issues to do with  health ,education and the service delivery system

PROGRAMMES IN LINE WITH THE PROJECT

The rate payers  and the city council The community halls  and the city council..  Young women  and the communities that surrounds them. Engaging local authorities  in developmental discussions

Mafirakurewa

Zimbabwe never seize to amaze the world because every time when you are about to think that the wheels are turning that hope is smashed like bug by a nasty turn of events that derails progress and chances of redefining our future is snatched from Zimbabweans.

The effects in most cases are cross cutting that  eventually shakes the well being of communities and day to day life style of ordinary Zimbabwe.

As I notice these changes it really makes me angry because there is never a time that you will find unity of purpose or political will, every political party wants to be Heroes of the day by demeaning each other at the expense of a new Zimbabwe.

This political mindset is desecrating the future of Zimbabwe this is strongly portrayed by the inconsistency of COPAC and notion of the coming of the Elections.

COPAC has been handling the Constitution process beside strong criticism by the Civic society that the process of Constitution making process should be left to stakeholder and facilitated by an independent board not solely politicians to decide our future as Zimbabwean.

 This will only advance their interests and marginalize the well being of ordinary Zimbabweans because there interests will not be enshrined in the constitution.

COPAC has a strong influence because it is being run by interested parties in the drafting of the constitution since the major players are none other than ZANU (PF) and MDC formations who only understand hate speech which is marred by ambition to illustrate to each other where political power is placed. Instead of pushing the nation first before personnel interest the squabbles that usually bring everything to stand still which has tempered with our hope from time to time.

It will take me the entire day trying to put details of the foundation of the root cause without bringing the real deal on the table.

COPAC has completely shut everyone out it’s the two Chairpersons whom will hear echoing demands from their political parties without giving members of the public benefit of doubt to what is happening. They appointed the rapporteurs and the greater part of the time they have been saying its secret to citizens whom have been denied privileged to know because it’s a decision of the political parties ZANU (PF) and MDC formation and they place their interest first.

This is all being done for the masses to endorse these interests without really putting elements that prove that Constitution is continuous and it bears the future and identity of Zimbabwean and future generation.

If you remember in one of my issues I was trying to distinguish that how does a wounded mind work if it has not been rehabilitated?

The state of the wound minds I referred to seem to be order of the erroneous decisions being made and the spirit of retribution which is evident by statements and threats to maintain the status quo.

Since the process is closed doors  some quarters are already discrediting the rapporteurs because they are taking some individuals’ ideas outside the process of consultation.

It is my believe that the constitution making process seems  to be tempered with so as to maintain the status quo ZANU (PF) is now pushing for an early election as counter attack to the results of the final Draft of the constitution so an intense campaign to down play the constitution out come and maintain the status quo no wonder ZANU (PF) is reluctant to endorse electoral reforms that correct all the misnomers in all the elections that were held in the past.

It has been the nature of Zimbabwe elections that they are marked with intimidation, violence, hate speech on opposition, media blackout on other parties except Zanu (PF), no international monitors and law enforcement perpetrate  the chaos by not enforcing the law by being partisan to Zanu (PF).

There are strong elements that are activated such as the unemployed youths are trained militia and used to beat up people in the community with impunity. My Nephew has a table has been recruited into the youth structure to start the militia tradition of raking havoc that I have highlighted above, failure to join in activities that he will make him lose his place in the market which is his only means of living.

He has been narrating some of the tactics that they use as wake up call for the electorate not to change the status quo. He is now a collector of Zanu (PF) regalia,  as a sign of patronage to the part but what he has been saying to me is that he does not have a choice.

 The most painful experience is that the series of meetings that are being held are now affecting his work cause in some busy weeks he won’t be on the markets for days and ends up ailing to raise money for basics.

I think I have brought some of the ugly elements of coming of elections but I doubt if there is going to be any election this year maybe 2013.

BACKGROUND SUMMARY

Amandla centre is an institute established in 2007 which is geared to contribute to the process of economic and social change in Zimbabwe through strengthening capacities of Community Based organizations, Trade Unions, Informal Economy Trades Associations, Women, Youth and Non-governmental Organisations in their responses and resistance to poverty and lack of democracy.  Amandla Centre of Zimbabwe is a composition of partner Organisations i.e. Girl Empowerment Movement, Build a Better Youth, Creative Cookery, Young Women initiative for development, Harare East Association, Women in Construction, Zimbabwe Informal Chamber Economy Association and Commercial Workers Union Zimbabwe . These partner organizations are responsible for identifying social justice programmes to be implemented by Amandla technical units.

Amandla has participated in Zimbabwe Social Forum activities, the Constitutional making process, Activist Summer School (South Africa), Winter School Training for Activists (South Africa), the Southern Africa Social Forum process (Swaziland, Lesotho) and World Social Forum (Senegal). Amandla have regular monthly community forums and empowerment programmes.

Amandla!!!!!!!!!