[DEBATE] : Zim Planning Meeting, 09h00, Friday 9th March, 3rd floor COSATU House, 1 Leyds Street, Braamfontein

[Dominic Tweedie]

Zimbabwe Solidarity Forum



Cosatu / ZSF, in solidarity with the ZCTU stayaway call for 4th and 5th of
April


Planning Meeting, 09h00, Friday 9th March, 3rd floor COSATU House, 1 Leyds
Street, Braamfontein



PLEASE FORWARD


The need for solidarity in action sparked by the ZCTU stayaway call and
championed by COSATU was discussed in a joint meeting with the ZSF Steering
Committee early this week. The meeting confirmed COSATU's CEC adoption of
the ZSF draft programme of action for 2007 and further cemented our shared
commitment to strengthening progressive forces acting in solidarity with
their Zimbabwean counterparts.

In 2006 leadership representing youth and student organizations from within
the ZSF were deported from Zimbabwe and prevented from carrying out a first
hand attempt to gain a deeper understanding and develop a deeper analysis of
the state of the Zimbabwe nation. COSATU representatives have suffered a
similar reaction from Zimbabwean authorities, and Comrade Zwelinzima Vavi
has been declared persona non grata, allowed never to return again. The
analysis that conditions in Zimbabwe are no longer an issue for Zimbabwe
alone, but an issue affecting the entire region has never been clearer than
it is today.

By all accounts the economic, social and political situation becomes
increasingly worse, hitting the poor and the working class, hardest of all.
Forced displacement and mass migration, to neighbouring countries, often
almost as hostile as the conditions at home, has become part of Zimbabwean
life. The recent crack down on legal protests and an increasingly repressive
climate for those organising in defense of their humanity makes the need for
solidarity action around the ZCTU call all the more urgent.

The next few weeks will include a number of events organized by COSATU and
the ZSF aimed at building solidarity with ZCTU and its supporters
participating in this courageous call to action.

Friday 9th March                    MASS ACTION PLANNING MEETING, 09h00 –
11h00, 3rd Floor, COSATU House, Braamfontein.




Ongoing mobilization and awareness raising with structures and
organisations:


Friday 23rd March                  COSATU SEMINAR - Understanding the
political economies of Zimbabwe and Swaziland 10h00 to 13h00, 10TH Floor,
COSATU House, Braamfontein
15th March                              Roundtable discussions on longer
term PoA – establishing task teams
30th March to 1st April           Regional Youth Learning Weekend
Wednesday 4th April              Joint COSATU / Zimbabwe Solidarity Forum
March
Friday 18th May                      International day of action -
commemoration of Murambatsvina,

For more information on any of these events, or to be put on the ZSF mailing
list please CONTACT Sipho Theys, sipho at actionsupport.co.za
<mailto:sipho at actionsupport.co.za> , Secretariat, ZSF. Your attendance and
support for these events will assist in finding long term solutions to the
crisis that is affecting all of us.

Your presence at the planning meeting on Friday would be much appreciated.

IF YOU ARE PLANNING SIMILAR EVENTS AROUND THE 4TH AND 5TH OF APRIL PLEASE
LET US KNOW AND INFORM US IF THERE IS ANY ASSISTANCE WE CAN OFFER

Sipho Theys, 171  Futura Building, Cnr Main and Mooi Street, Marshalltown,
Johannesburg 2001
Tel:    +27 (11) 334-2444 / 5, Fax:   +27 (11) 334-2458, Cell: +27 (82)
500-0811
Email: sipho at actionsupport.co.za <mailto:sipho at actionsupport.co.za> ,
enquiries at actionsupport.co.za <mailto:enquiries at actionsupport.co.za> ,
siphotheys at yahoo.com <mailto:siphotheys at yahoo.com>
Website: www.action-global.org <http://www.action-global.org>