Zimbabweans in the Diaspora Vote Demonstrations in Pretoria
Zimbabweans in South Africa led by Joice Mujuru’s new party, yesterday came out in full force to stage a demo asking for the restoration of their rights to vote whilst they are out of their country.
All Zimbabweans who live and work in the Diaspora have been stripped of their right to vote. Every time they voted apart from the 1980 vote that brought Mugabe into power which was supervised by the British government.
In what might be a sign of Mujuru’s political strength, the marchers were escorted by members of the South African police service and the Pretoria metro. They proceeded from Marabastat to the Zimbabwean Embassy about four kilometers marching and dancing all the way. At the Embassy they were addressed by Lawrence Mavhaire a coordinator of Mujuru’s Zimbabwe People First party.
Mavhaire stressed that Zimbabweans in the Diaspora should be allowed to vote. He also stressed the need for the Zimbabwean Embassy to help its citizens to obtain different services required to make life easier as it was hard to survive without papers such as passports and birth certificates.
However at the embassy they were received by two people who claimed to stand in for the ambassador who said he was in Zimbabwe for a funeral.
The protesters said they will be back next week.