MEDIA STATEMENT
For immediate release

CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS TO HOLD SOLIDARITY PLACARD DEMONSTRATIONS AT ZIMBABWEAN EMBASSIES IN SADC COUNTRIES ON HUMAN RIGHTS DAY

29 November 2004; Johannesburg, South Africa – Civil society organisations from the surrounding countries to Zimbabwe will be holding peaceful placard demonstrations in front of the Zimbabwean Embassies on 10 December 2004 to mark International Human Rights Day.

The demonstrations are part of a series of civil society events aimed at putting an end to ongoing human rights violations and the closure of civic space in Zimbabwe. They will provide opportunities for civil society activists, Zimbabweans in the Diaspora and citizens of Africa to show solidarity towards their Zimbabwean brothers and sisters and to advocate for the repeal and progressive amendment of existing and planned repressive legislation in Zimbabwe, including the proposed NGO Bill.

Subsequent to the demonstrations, civil society organisations from the region will be organising a Zimbabwe Solidarity Rally (ZSR) on 14 February 2005 in which thousands of people and organisations will march to the main border posts of Zimbabwe in the neighbouring countries of Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa and Zambia. The Rally, originally planned for 10 December 2004, has been rescheduled on account of the huge expression of interest from civil society in the SADC region, which calls for additional time to plan the activities. Rescheduling the march will allow for a broader inclusion of civil society members and individuals, a greater impact and a stronger coalition in solidarity.

Ends

For more information on these events, please contact Amnesty International South Africa (AISA) on +27 12 320 8155 ([email protected] ) or CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation on +27 11 833 5959 ([email protected])