PRESS STATEMENT BY BOTSWANA CIVIL SOCIETY SOLIDARITY COALITION FOR ZIMBABWE (BOCISCOZ)
CONTINUING SOLIDARITY ACTIONS ON ZIMBABWE, 28 May 2008
The Botswana Civil Society Solidarity Coalition for Zimbabwe (BOCISCOZ) issues this statement to correct information contained in an article published in the Mmegi of Tuesday 27 May 2008 entitled “NGO petitions govt over Zimbabwe”.
BOCISCOZ is not a non-governmental organisation (NGO). It is a coalition of independent civil society groupings. The Botswana Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (BOCONGO), The Botswana Council of Churches (BCC), The Botswana Secondary Teachers Trade Union (BOSETU), DITSHWANELO - The Botswana Centre for Human Rights and The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Botswana Chapter, are the founder members of BOCISCOZ. It was formed in 2006 to commemorate and respond to what happened in Zimbabwe in June 2005, during ‘Operation Murambatsvina’. BOCISCOZ is non-partisan and therefore does not support any political party.
BOCISCOZ comprises 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.
On Monday 26 May 2008, BOCISCOZ held a Seminar on the ongoing crisis in Zimbabwe and the implications for Botswana. Speakers from Zimbabwe addressed the Seminar on violence and the economic effects on the region (including Botswana) of the crisis in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwean nationals resident in Botswana also participated in the events. The aims of the Seminar were to:
- Report on the activities of BOCISCOZ over the past year and
- To be guided by civil society members from Zimbabwe about ways of constructively contributing to a peaceful resolution to the ongoing crisis in Zimbabwe.
A rally and march were then held at which other Zimbabwean experiences were shared. A petition, based on the issues raised at the Seminar, was subsequently presented to Hon. P. Skelemani, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Zimbabwean participants at these events thanked BOCISCOZ for its solidarity work which they said provided great encouragement to them in Zimbabwe. They also expressed their appreciation for the moral leadership which Botswana is showing on engaging with the issue at the level of SADC. Minister Skelemani stressed the fact that what Botswana was asking for was nothing more or less than that which Botswana asked of itself. These included the need to ensure free and fair election processes and recognition of the important role of SADC Observer Missions in election monitoring. In response to a request from BOCISCOZ that the petition be submitted to President Khama, Minister Skelemani undertook to do so.
The People to People Coalition, which is a member of BOCISCOZ, has organised another public march on Friday 30 May 2008. Participants will assemble at White City bus stop, opposite Orapa House. The march will take place between 10:00 am and 11:30 am and will culminate in the handover of a petition to the United Nations, SADC and the South African High Commission.
28 May 2008
Gaborone
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