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Britain Zimbabwe Society
Annual Report from the Chair
November 2002 (Dr Diana Jeater)It has been a difficult year in Zimbabwe, with drought, continuing political conflict and acute economic problems. In the BZS, we have been aware that many Zimbabweans have been coming to the UK over the past twelve months, seeking asylum or employment. Many new groups have become established to meet the political, social and welfare needs of these visitors from Zimbabwe, and the interactions between Britons and Zimbabweans in the UK is probably greater than it has ever been before. As always, the BZS has tried to play a networking role, bringing people and organisations into contact with each other and providing an umbrella structure under which all those interested in friendship between the people of Britain and Zimbabwe may meet.
During the past year, we have worked with Zimbabwean civil society organisations and NGOs, trade unions, municipalities and local authorities, churches, cultural and environmentalist bodies and many others whose day-to-day work is contributing to creative and constructive responses to the present crisis. We have also worked with Zimbabwean musicians, artists, film-makers, writers and academics. With so many internal divisions and external tensions facing Zimbabwe, we have argued that it is more important than ever to foster all individuals and organisations who are maintaining Zimbabwe's social, cultural, moral, artistic and intellectual life.
Peter Ashby's excellent directory of contacts has continued to be invaluable in providing information to those seeking to make links with people who have similar interests. Richard Brown has also done some excellent work with the website, which is more packed than ever with useful information and links. The Newsletter has continued to provide information about a wide range of activities fostering links between Britons and Zimbabweans in the UK, while the BZS Zimbabwe Review has provided more in-depth analysis. Marieke Clarke has done wonderful work in getting these publications to our members, with help from Zek Hoeben, Richard Brown and Joan Weir. Meanwhile, Sara Rich-Dorman, JoAnn McGregor and Margaret Ling have all contributed to keeping up the flow of information on the bzs-info email discussion group, upon which so many of us rely for our news. In all these cases, the information depends on the contributions of BZS members, and is a reflection of the vibrant community that we serve, as well as the sterling and often thankless work of these volunteers.
We have continued to take a non-partisan approach to the political struggles in Zimbabwe. In our submission to the Foreign Affairs Committee in May, we stated that "The Britain Zimbabwe Society is doing what it can to make detailed and dispassionate discussion of Zimbabwe's future possible". In our recommendations to the Committee, we emphasised our interest in civil society, and our concerns about the threat to civil society and indigenous NGOs if British funding is withdrawn, as part of a general British withdrawal from support for Zimbabwe. The BZS has a long tradition of friendship links with small grassroots NGOs in Zimbabwe, and is aware of the excellent work that they do. We emphasised that it makes no sense for British state and voluntary aid organisations to abandon the very people upon whom the survival of Zimbabwean civil society depends. We suggested that new ways need to be found to support them in what is certainly a sensitive and complex situation. In fact, we argued, more support should be provided - scholarships for Zimbabweans to study in Britain, certainly, but also support for Zimbabwean institutions at a very difficult time, and, inter alia, for collaborative projects between them and British bodies. We also proposed that Zimbabweans granted leave to remain in the UK should be admitted to training courses of their choice, and that Zimbabwean students in the United Kingdom should be supported and increased resources made available for scholarship schemes. This emphasis on collaborative projects between people and organisations in Britain and Zimbabwe continues to define our work and frame our responses to the current tensions within Zimbabwe.
The Britain Zimbabwe Society has been involved in responding to the issues raised in the UK by the large numbers of Zimbabweans now seeking to live and work here. Many of these people are asylum seekers, and the BZS has provided a list of experts who can provide impartial reports for lawyers on the situation in Zimbabwe. We have found that these reports, which are intended to inform the court rather than support the applicant, may involve correcting misrepresentations of the Zimbabwean government and its policies as much as explaining the context, nature and extent of political violence.
BZS has also been co-convenor, with ACTSA and Commonwealth TUC of the Zimbabwe Action Network. ZAN is a non-partisan network of invited NGOs, friendship & solidarity groups, human rights groups, faith groups etc for purposes of sharing information, ideas and perspectives on Zimbabwe. It has been meeting regularly over the past year and has proved to be useful both for its member organisations and in helping to keep Zimbabwe on the wider
agenda of concern. It has been involved in lobbying on behalf of Zimbabweans in the UK, particularly those involved in the immigration and asylum procedures, facing detention and/or deportation. There has been lively debate within the Executive about our response to the British government's policies on asylum seekers and economic migrants, reflecting concerns about the 'brain drain' from Zimbabwe as well as about the vulnerable position of many Zimbabweans in the UK.Our regular events, the Research Day and the Dayschool, were both well-attended and attracted broad constituencies. The Research Day in June benefited from the generosity of St Antony's College, Oxford, the Journal of Southern African Studies and the African Studies Association UK, which made it possible for us to invite and host two excellent visiting speakers from Zimbabwe: Josephine Nhongo from the History Dept at University of Zimbabwe and Peter Sibanda from ZINATHA. We were also fortunate to be able to invite Dan Tevera, of the Geography Department, University of Zimbabwe, who was already in the UK. The topic of 'Zimbabwe Futures' was intended to allow space for thinking beyond immediate crises and policy conflicts, to put the long-term future into historical and analytical context. The event attracted academics and others from all over the world and across a range of disciplines, with many Zimbabwean researchers in the UK contributing as speakers, Chairs and commentators in the panels. Terence Ranger's Report on the Day has been distributed to all members, and additional notes on research work in progress have been put on the BZS website.
We were delighted to win a Lottery 'Awards for All' grant towards the September Dayschool, thanks to the fund-raising skills of Margaret Ling, who also co-ordinated the event. This enabled us to host Grassroots Performing Arts from Bulawayo, and provide expenses for the many speakers and resource people who attended. The topic of the Dayschool was 'What Can We Learn from Zimbabwe? - People Planning and Working for a Positive Future', to highlight the many positive things that are coming out of Zimbabwe, which can provide inspiration to people in the UK. There was a massive range of workshops, and many inspiring speakers. We were particularly grateful to our keynote speakers, Thoko Matshe, Ephson Ngadya of Grassroots Performing Arts, and Wellington Chibebe of the Zimbabwe TUC. The range and number of participants from Zimbabwe was a further reminder of the growing number of Zimbabweans now in the UK. I was personally most closely involved with the workshops on sustainability, that benefited from excellent presentations by Ennie Chipembere, Nick James, Sam Page and Jyoti Fernandes. I was impressed at how workshop participants raised many important and demanding questions about the meaning and future of sustainability in Zimbabwe, looked seriously at the challenges and possibilities for people on resettled land and discussed appropriate action for people in the UK in responding to those challenges. It seems that similar high standards of discussion went on elsewhere. The day ended with a performance by the children, supported by Grassroots, demonstrating that Zimbabwe has a future full of hope and potential. Detailed workshop reports and written presentations may be found on the website, as a valuable record of the day, and a tribute to Margaret's work.
As well as these BZS-organised activities, BZS members and allies were involved in a range of other activities during the year. Peter Ashby itemised and described some of these in his paper 'BZS/UKOWLA People to People Links project'. They include Bristol's support for the Zambuko Community Library Project, the ever-vibrant Stevenage Kadoma link, Aberdeen's link with Bulawayo and Ilfracombe's Zimbabwe Friendship Link, which supports the Chimanimani/Kwirire Community Project. Cultural events continue to be important for BZS members, including Chartwell Dutiro's new initiatives in Devon, the work of Grassroots Performing Arts in touring the UK, and the production of a musical drama by Sunduza Dance Theatre 'Voices from the Rocks', in co-operation with James Currey Publishers, based on Terence Ranger's book, Voices from the Rocks! BaZiSAN, also in Bristol, continued to develop grassroots links with organisations and individuals involved in sustainable landuse in Britain and Zimbabwe.
As you are probably aware, we have also revisited the Society's constitution this year, and propose a number of changes. These reflect the new relationship with the organisation in Scotland, the Scotland Zimbabwe Group, which is not a regional branch of the Society, but a national branch, and also the recognition that the Society does not have a separate branch within Zimbabwe. The Scottish group has been extremely active this year, not least in lobbying the Scottish parliament, which seems rather more open to consultation than its Westminster partner.
It remains for me to thank all those who have made the work of the Society possible over the past year. In addition to those officers and executive committee members already mentioned, special thanks are due to Ade Williams and Peter Cotton, who have worked as Treasurer and Membership Secretary respectively. The financial stability of the Society depends upon them, and their contribution deserves real appreciation. Thanks are also due to our very eminent President, Terence Ranger, for his many contributions, not least in co-ordinating the Research Day, and our invaluable Vice-President, Edgar Moyo. Moses Bikishoni, who cannot be with us today because he is in Zimbabwe, has served as Deputy Chair, and done much to keep us self-reflexive about our practices and policies. I look forward to working with the new Committee that emerges from this meeting, and hope that the Society will continue to provide a safe umbrella under which all friends of Zimbabwe may shelter.
[13 November 2002]
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