Zimbabwe

The Southern African Legal Assistance Network (SALAN) welcomes the stance taken by the Southern African Development Community (SADC)’s call for the postponement of the Zimbabwean Presidential run-off elections scheduled for Friday 27th June 2008, which have been characterized by widespread violence, forcing MDC Presidential candidate Morgan Tsvangirai to announce his withdrawal from the race.

The Southern African Legal Assistance Network (SALAN) welcomes the stance taken by the Southern African Development Community (SADC)’s call for the postponement of the Zimbabwean Presidential run-off elections scheduled for Friday 27th June 2008, which have been characterized by widespread violence, forcing MDC Presidential candidate Morgan Tsvangirai to announce his withdrawal from the race.

I have just finished reading The Uncertainty of Hope, by Valerie Tagwira. It is a novel set in the Harare area of Mbare, during the time of Operation Murambatsvina. The novel reminded me why fiction is so important. It's important for lots of reasons, but one of them is that it teaches us, by helping us imagine -- other people, other lives, other circumstances.

I was quite disturbed to read two opinion pieces in the SA Sunday papers, on Zimbabwe, where the authors were basically defending Mugabe. The thing is, these writers have some valid points to make - but they go on to draw unjustifiable conclusions.

Now I'm not one of those people who believes journalists should start closing their eyes and years to all the bad and depressing stuff that's happening, and bring us only happy thoughts. But I do think that we need to remember that it's not all gloom and doom. There is good news out there -- and often there's something inspiring or encouraging to be found even within supposedly bad news. Two recent events have made me feel proud and encouraged.

I’m in two minds this week. Posting something completely unrelated to the most compelling and important events unfolding in our region for the past few years, would just feel irrelevant and out of touch. At this time, how can I write about anything but Zimbabwe? But on the other hand, how can I write about Zimbabwe? I’m no Zimbabwe expert. I don’t live there, never have, and have only visited once.

GALZ: on the path to LGBTI freedom in Zimbabwe