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Youth group threatens to shut down embassy in South Africa
Tererai Karimakwenda, SW Radio Africa
February 27, 2008

http://www.swradioafrica.com/news270208/zimambassador270208.htm

The Zimbabwean Ambassador to South Africa, Simon Khaya Moyo, has promised to accept a petition from the Zimbabwe Revolutionary Youth Movement (ZRYM) in South Africa on Thursday, during a demonstration the group plans to conduct at the embassy in Pretoria. The youth group wants the Ambassador to forward the petition to government officials in Zimbabwe. They are demanding that Zimbabweans in the diaspora be allowed to vote and an end to political violence. If the authorities do not comply in 7 days, the group has threatened to ferry their members to the embassy grounds and shut it down.

Khaya Moyo had refused to accept the petition during previous demonstrations at his offices. But when the youth group threatened to occupy the embassy grounds and shut it down, the Ambassador agreed to meet with them at the Police station in Pretoria on Tuesday.

ZRYM President Simon Mudekwa said Khaya Moyo did not attend the meeting himself. A representative from the embassy met with the ZRYM Secretary General John Vincent Chikwari and Gauteng police representatives. Chikwari reported that there was a heated debate. He said in the end the police officials told the embassy staff that if the Ambassador refused to accept the petition on Thursday, then the police could not provide any security when the youth came to occupy the embassy grounds.

Mudekwa said it was agreed by all at the meeting in Pretoria that the Ambassador would accept the ZRYM petition at the demonstration on Thursday. The group expects him to forward the petition to government officials in Zimbabwe. They want their demands to be met by March 8th.

If the Zimbabwe government fails to comply within 7 days, Mudekwa said they will go ahead with their planned action, which he refused to disclose to the press. He simply said: "We will carry out our action and shut down the embassy because it has no use and no Zimbabweans are helped there."

Meanwhile, the demonstration organized by the Zimbabwe Youth Network (ZYN) and the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) at the Zimbabwe Consulate went ahead peacefully in Johannesburg on Wednesday. ZYN youth member Nkathazo said about 500 people took part in the event. A security guard came out and accepted a petition which also calls for Zimbabweans in the Diaspora to be allowed to vote.

It seems the campaign for a Diaspora vote is bringing together many different Zimbabwean groups in the Diaspora. Nkathazo said the key speaker at the Consulate was Simon Mudekwa.

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