The Wardman Wire

The BBC has published evidence that abuses, beatings, intimidation and undermining of the democratic process are being co-ordinated in Zimbabwe by the police and army (via Paul Canning).

It is possible to keep track of what is happening on the ground via Net Feeds provided by various civil liberties bodies. This is an updated version of a Wardman Wire post “Scrutinise the Zimbabwe Elections using Twitter and Flickr: Sokwanele” from a few days ago.

The situation appears to be getting worse, so please do what you can to keep the spotlight on it.

Key Points

There are a number of organisations and resources listed here. This is a summary.

• Map of incidents: Sokwanele Map
• Most frequent updates: Sokwanele Blog, RSS Feed, Twitter. Women and Men of Zimbabwe.
• Photo feed: Sokwanele photo feed (on Wardman Wire blog front page).
• Video: Eyes on Zimbabwe
• Good for Systematic Briefings: Solidarity Peace Trust (Reports, Images, Videos)
• Human Rights/Free Media: Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), Zimbabwe Human NGO Rights Forum

Map of Incidents

Sokwanele (”Enough is enough”) have a map of all the incidents they have reported here. Worth a look. More about Sokwanele below.

Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights

This one is on a Zimbwbabwe internet domain, and is “suspended”. I wonder why?

Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights website - currently suspended.

Eyes on Zimbabwe: Soros Open Society Institute

Eyes on Zimbabwe publishes video of the situation inside Zimbabwe.

Eyes on Zimbabwe Website.

WOZA: Women and Men of Zimbabwe Arise

WOZA, the acronym of Women of Zimbabwe Arise, is an Ndebele word meaning ‘Come forward’. Now with a countrywide membership of over 35,000 women and men, WOZA was formed in 2003 as a women’s civic movement to:

• Provide women, from all walks of life, with a united voice to speak out on issues affecting their day-to-day lives.
• Empower female leadership that will lead community involvement in pressing for solutions to the current crisis.
• Encourage women to stand up for their rights and freedoms.
• Lobby and advocate on those issues affecting women and their families.

Blog Link: Women of Zimbabwe Arise (RSS Feed)

Solidarity Peace Trust

The Solidarity Peace Trust is a non-governmental organisation, registered in South Africa. The Trustees of the Solidarity Peace Trust are church leaders of Southern Africa, who are all committed to human rights, freedom and democracy in their region.

The co-chairpersons are:

* Archbishop Pius A Ncube; Catholic Archbishop of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
* Bishop Rubin Phillip; Anglican Bishop of KwaZulu-Natal, Republic of South Africa

Solidarity Peace Trust (Reports, Images, Videos)

Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum

The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (also known as the “Human Rights Forum”) has been in existence since January 1998. Non-governmental organisations working in the field of human rights came together to provide legal and psycho-social assistance to the victims of the Food Riots of January 1998.

Zimbabwe Human Rights NGA Forum. (Press Release Page)

Media Institute of South Africa

The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) is a non-governmental organisation with members in 11 of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) countries. Officially launched in September 1992, MISA focuses primarily on the need to promote free, independent and pluralistic media , as envisaged in the 1991 Windhoek Declaration.

MISA seeks ways in which to promote the free flow of information and co-operation between media workers, as a principal means of nurturing democracy and human rights in Africa

The role of MISA is primarily one of a coordinator, facilitator and communicator, and for this reason MISA aims to work together with all like-minded organisations and individuals to achieve a genuinely free and pluralistic media in southern Africa.

Sokwanele: Enough is Enough

I have been running a Flick-R photo feed about abuse and violence meted out by Robert Mugabe’s followers and thugs to those opposing his regime in the elections in Zimbabwe for several weeks, from the Zimbabwe Civic Action Support Group.

There is also a Twitter feed at http://twitter.com/sokwanele which is updated from time to time. Here are the entriues since it was launched in late May (read from the bottom). Harrowing. Only a small portion of attacks are fed on Twitter.

Why not carry the Photo feed (if your readers can stomach it) or the Twitter feed on your blog. If you need to know how, drop a comment in the box, and I will do a “Howto” article. The elections in Zimbabwe are on June 27th, so it would be a good boost to scrutiny and awareness if a number of bloggers did this. It is easy in Wordpress.

Sokwanele has a blog here (RSS Feed).

This article may be reproduced with attribution and a link back to here and the Sokwanele This is Zimbabwe blog.

Sokwanele: 3 Days in Zimbabwe via Twitter

Numbers to call for Tsvangira at Shurugwi police station: Officer in charge: +263 (0)52 6545. Also try +263 (0)52 6279 / 6277 / 6278 / 6545 01:29 PM June 14, 2008 from web

Morgan Tsvangirai arrested again. Currently being held at Shurugwi police station. This is the 5th time he has been detained since 4 June. 01:13 PM June 14, 2008 from web

MDC MP Tendai Biti has arrived in court. He has been missing since his arrest two days ago by 10 plainclothes policeman in an unmarked car. 01:06 PM June 14, 2008 from web

Tendai Biti still missing. Lawyers and human rights defenders have gone to every possible police station in Harare in an effort to find him. 02:16 PM June 13, 2008 from web

Morgan Tsvangirai has been released for a second time today: “It’s just harassment, but we will be continuing with our campaign tomorrow”. 11:32 PM June 12, 2008 from web

Morgan Tsvangirai arrested for a 2nd time today. Now in Gweru police station. Call +263 (0)54 227897 / 221393. http://tinyurl.com/6qahts 07:33 PM June 12, 2008 from web

Tendai Biti missing. “He was forced into an unmarked vehicle and has not been seen since”. Please take action - http://tinyurl.com/6dp8bl 06:21 PM June 12, 2008 from web

The BBC are reporting that Zimbabwe’s police plan to charge MDC Secretary General Tendai Biti with treason. http://tinyurl.com/6jpg3f 05:11 PM June 12, 2008 from web

Morgan Tsvangirai has been released after 2 hrs. He immediately resumed campaigning, meeting throngs of enthusiastic supporters in Kwekwe. 05:01 PM June 12, 2008 from web

Morgan Tsvangirai arrested with 20 others. Call Kwekwe Police on +263 (0)55 22210 and +263 (0)55 24541 - 6 . See http://tinyurl.com/6nf57s 04:05 PM June 12, 2008 from web

Action Alert for Biti. Arrested by plainclothes police, driven off in car reg AAO 3822; whereabouts unknown. See http://tinyurl.com/6dp8bl 02:19 PM June 12, 2008 from web

Get ready for ACTION - MDC Secretary General Tendai Biti has just been arrested in Harare. Waiting for more info: http://tinyurl.com/6dp8bl 01:12 PM June 12, 2008 from web

I have not included links. Read the whole thing with links here.