Source: Tajamuka/Sesjikile
The 3rd Tajamuka/ Sesjikile campaign stakeholders meeting was held yesterday 10 July 2016 where 14 political parties youth leaders and 44 Civil Society Youth organisations took stock of the progress made towards the attainment of its objectives against the background of sustained brutal and illegal attacks by the government of Zimbabwe. The stakeholders also received reports from all members countrywide. They also noted with great disbelief that the government is desperately trying to implicate western embassies in their failure to deliver on the promises they made to the people whilst those who were arrested are living from hand to mouth and their families are struggling to raise bail and foodstuffs for their loved ones. They are also shocked that the same government which has been sponsoring violence on innocent civilians in Epworth, Mabvuku, Beitbgridge, Mufakose, Chipinge and Bulawayo among other areas which has been captured in the media, unashamedly points its fingers to western governments. Tajamuka/ Sesjikile would like to reiterate that it is not and will never be an organisation, it is you and me. Those 2.2 million Youths who were promised jobs, hundreds of thousands displaced by operation Murambatsvina, victims of the long and short sleeve madness of 2008, families of thousands who were killed and maimed by the Zanu PF regime, millions who are sleeping on empty stomachs, thousands who are sleeping in the open at Chingwizi, thousands whose livelihoods were destroyed by the Chiadzwa looting, civil servants who are toiling every day without being paid and failing to access their salaries and many other Zimbabweans whose hopes and aspirations have been dashed by the corrupt government are Tajamuka/Sesjikile. Any attempts to conduct a witch hunt for Tajamuka/Sesjikile leadership would be futile because you will arrest everyone except the corrupt politicians in Zanu PF and government whose stomachs thrive on the suffering of ordinary Zimbabweans that they steal from on a daily basis.
Tajamuka/Sesjikile therefore:
- Applauds all Zimbabweans for unity of purpose as shown by the highly successful and historic 6th July stay away that left the clueless government with an egg in its face and urges citizens to remain vigilant until President Mugabe and his cabal leaves office. We have the Zanu PF over the weekend desperately trying to give flimsy expla ations for the failure to deliver.
- Condemns in the strongest terms the arrest and detention of Tajamukas/Sesjikiles on trumped up charges meant to criminalize a legitimate and constitutional campaign that is being held within the confines of the law. Noting that our jails can only contain 17 000 prisoners against 2.2 million jobless Youths, it is clear that the state’s actions are not sustainable because they will never contain all Tajamukas/Sesjikiles.
- Demand an immediate return to the rule of law and that the state desists from pegging punitive bail as it is meant to deprive citizens their right to justice given that the most affected are Youths who are jobless and at the same time cannot access money from the banks due to the cash crisis.
- Urges state security agents to be professional and move away from serving the interests of the ruling elite at the expense of suffering Zimbabweans.
- Urges youths from all corners of Zimbabwe to take the initiative and put pressure on President Mugabe and his government in their communities and other spaces that they occupy.
The Stakeholders resolved that:
- Tajamuka will stand by its earlier resolution to push Mugabe to step down or outline clear timelines to do so by 31 August 2016. Failure of which Tajamuka will take fight to the next level with effect from the 1st of September 2016.
- Tajamuka/Sesjikile will support all pro-democracy actions by citizens and groups that resonate with the campaign’s goals and objectives
- Tajamuka/Sesjikile will step up community actions through massive mobilisation and education from all corners of Zimbabwe guided by our 10 guiding principles of the campaign as follows:
- No to Bond Notes
- We want our 2.2 million jobs
- The missing $15 Billion must be returned
- An end to corruption
- Cash Crisis must be resolved urgently
- Itai Dzamara must be returned to his family and an end forced disappearances, illegal arrests and detention and state sponsored violence.
- Social Services Delivery must improve
- Not to National Pledge
- Devolution of power now
- We want the missing $10 million Youth Fund
Source: Tajamuka/Sesjikile