PRESS STATEMENT OF THE BOTSWANA CIVIL SOCIETY COALITION ON ZIMBABWE (BOCISCOZ)
Zimbabwe Independence 18 April
At a meeting held on Tuesday 20 March 2007, we, BOCISCOZ, committed ourselves to take forward our movement to give solidarity to citizens of Zimbabwe.
BOCISCOZ, comprising The Botswana Council of Churches (BCC), The Botswana Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (BOCONGO), The Botswana Secondary Teachers Trade Union (BOSETU), DITSHWANELO – The Botswana Centre for Human Rights, The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Botswana Chapter, The Concerned Africans Association (CAA), The People to People Coalition of Zimbabwe (PPCZ), Amnesty International Botswana, The International Socialists Botswana, The Disability HIV/AIDS Trust (DHAT), The Botswana Congress Party (BCP), The Botswana National Front Youth League (BNFYL), The Bible Society of Botswana, Kgolagano Theological College, The Lutheran Church, Tirisanyo Catholic Commission, The Dutch Reformed Church, The Evangelical Fellowship of Botswana, The Kweneng Rural Development Association (KRDA), Lifeline Botswana, The Botswana Community Based Organisations Network (BOCOBONET), The Botswana Network on Law HIV and AIDS (BONELA), The Botswana Unified Local Government Service Association (BULGASA), The Botswana Teachers Union (BTU), Habitat for Humanity Botswana, CORDE, and The Botswana Scouts, wish to acknowledge and appreciate the positive step taken by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) by holding a special summit on the situations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lesotho, and Zimbabwe, which was held in Tanzania from 28 to 29 March 2007.
We would also like to commend SADC for its appointment of President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, to mediate in the political crisis in Zimbabwe. The appointment of President Mbeki shows the acknowledgement by SADC that there is a problem in Zimbabwe which goes beyond a country’s sovereignty, and that there is need to work together as the Southern African Community to solve this problem. We trust that he will be able to fulfil his mandate and promote dialogue between the parties of Zimbabwe, aimed at a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Zimbabwe.
18 April marks the independence day of Zimbabwe. In recognition of the current situation, the BOCISCOZ movement calls upon Batswana to show support for Zimbabwean citizens inside and outside of Zimbabwe, by joining us on the march and at the rally on Wednesday 18 April 2007 (GSS Grounds, 10:00 a.m.). There will be similar activities in the future, until there is positive change in Zimbabwe.
16 April 2007
Gaborone |
