Life Update: Zimbabwean Lives Matter! (information, video, & comments)

Tadi Dzue, Aug 3, 2020


Freedom

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post provides some information about the Zimbabwean Lives Matter movement and showcases a YouTube video of a young Zimbabwean man discussing that movement.

Selected comments from that video's discussion thread are also included in this post.

The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and political purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Tadi Dzue for this vlog. Thanks to all those who are active in non-violent movements for justice throughout the world. 

Zimbabwean lives matter!

Amandla Ngawethu!
-snip-

Tadi Druze wrote the word "Freedom" in the summary section for this video. Although that word shows up in the draft form of this pancocojams post, for some reason it's not visible in the published post. 

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE ZIMBABWEAN LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT
From bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-04/zimbabwe-protesters-draw-inspiration-from-blacklivesmatter

Politics

Zimbabwe Protesters Draw Inspiration From Black Lives Matter

Ray Ndlovu, August 4, 2020, 7:55 AM EDT

President Mnangagwa says in speech ‘dark forces’ are at work

 Prominent personalities join in support of the online campaign

 "Protests against economic turmoil, arrests and human-rights abuses in Zimbabwe have moved online with a hashtag that’s plays on the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

The #ZimbabweanLivesMatter tag started after security forces blocked a street demonstration last week. It draws on the success of the global movement highlighting racial injustice that gained prominence after the death in May of George Floyd in Minneapolis at the hands of the police.

The online campaign resulted in more than 700,000 tweets on Tuesday, including from sports personalities and celebrities in and outside the country. Those who endorsed the hashtag include Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira, a South African Rugby World Cup winner who hails from Zimbabwe, Cassper Nyovest, one of South Africa’s top pop stars, and Pearl Thusi, who starred in Africa’s first Netflix film, Queen Sono.

[…]

Zimbabwe is facing an economic crisis, with inflation of 737%, food and fuel shortages and a collapsing currency. At least 60 people, including 2020 Booker Prize long-listed novelist Tsitsi Dangarembga, have been arrested for demonstrating in the southern African nation, according to Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.”…
-snip-
Additional information about the Zimbabwean Lives Matter movement can be found in the summary for this August 3, 2020 YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o6CNkqwDaY  Zimbabwean Lives Matter - Official Song 2020, posted by Gift Gibo.

Also, click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzMEq_LMlSM for an Eyewitness News ,Aug 7, 2020 video. [WARNING- That video contains some violent scenes.]

Notice that the protesters and police in that video wear face masks because of the corona virus. 

That video also shows the different ways that the protests chant.   

Here's the summary statement for that video:
"Stun grenades and rubber bullets - police clash with #ZimbabweanLivesMatter protesters

Not in my Name organisation and Zimbabwean citizens attempted to protest outside the Zimbabwean embassy in Pretoria in solidarity with the #ZimbabweanLivesMatter movement but were forced to disperse by police with rubber bullets and stun grenades."

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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THE DISCUSSION THREAD OF THE EMBEDDED YOUTUBE VIDEO 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPzYBX5byAI

All of these comments are from August 3 to August 12, 2020. These comments are given in chronological order with the oldest dated first, except for replies.

Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.  

1. Tawana Mwale
"The tears are overflowing 🥺🇿🇼❤️"

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2. Abigail Mawi

"My heart,,really broken...very sad.Zimlives matter"

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3. Tinomuda Chitoro

"Thank you for saying the truth .. and for noticing the wrong in what the government is doing .......It's hard to think about it as l went through the pain and turture of police brutality ......it's not something you want to think about 😭 and will ever want to think about ...what stories will we tell our children in the future .......😔😔😔😔.......MAY THE LORD BE WITH ALL ZIMBABWEANS ..... #Zimbabweanslivesmatter ✊🏿"

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4. Zelda Williams Official

"#FreeZimbabwe"

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5. cloud ndaro

"#Zimbabweanlivesmatter together we stand"

**REPLY

6. Tadi Dzue

"Agreed ❤"
*️*
7. Sally's World

"Enough is enough 😭💔"

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8. Ayandah Dube

"I'm with you in our struggle my brother, amandla ngawethu...."

-snip-
Here's information about the saying "amandla ngawethu" from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amandla_(power)

"Amandla in the Nguni languages means "power".[1] The word was a popular rallying cry in the days of resistance against apartheid, used by the African National Congress and its allies. The leader of a group would call out "Amandla!" and the crowd would respond with "Awethu"[2] or "Ngawethu!"[3] (to us), completing the South African version of the rallying cry "power to the people!".[4] The word is still associated with struggles against oppression.”…

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9. Smiley Hunney

"It is so scary living this side right now because everyone is speaking up and day by day they're disappearing. This just isn't right! We gotta stand together for this❤✊ God's gats us!!❤❤ We gotta keep praying and speaking up"

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10.  Casey Namogang

"From Botswana lord free Zimbabwe😭"

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11. Akua Adu-Gyamfi

"😞 sorry for my sisters and brothers in Zimbabwe.

#freezimbaweans ✊🏿 our people need help.  Thank for sharing. U are a brave young man. Much love from a ghanaian ❤"️

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12. Kai Mzinja

"ZIMBABWEAN LIVES MATTER HOMIE"

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13. James Mokhali

"look, I honestly sympathize with the country for sure. my question is there are so many Zimbabweans in SA going about their business posting on social media discussing in corners, making videos bla bla fish paste. I believe those ones are telling Zimbabweans that are there in Zim to keep fighting while they watching through the window. I found you as a worst hypocrite of the worst to send a video crying and why are you crying coz it hurts? wow bro how about you go join them and fight with your brothers and fix the country? in SA we have our own problems too!!! and no I have nothing wrong or against Zimbabweans I just feel that you guys are now South African Zimbabweans guys go home and fight. that's it."

**REPLY

14. Ellen James

"James Mokhali very true James Zimbos are all over the world posting like Mugabe once said how can i fix the country alone when you guys are out there. Who do they want to fix the country for them and when all things are fine they rush back. I am in Zim right now we cant even afford time to post because we busy trying to fend for our families thats y even 31 pple didnt go out in the streets becoz pple in the diaspora encourage us to go out there and be. Beaten by army yet they are out there sitting pretty. They must flock back in a bid to come help fix the problem. Its barking of toothless dogs🤷🏾‍♀️"

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15. Jermaine

"This is very painful.. just listen how articulate this boy is but the elite government of zimbabwe and its cruel leaders will not allow this potential to spring out into the world"

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16. Lee Thato

"I feel you bru,, we been struggling for long, the struggle has there ever since we wheree young, we been called with names deferent countries,,,, nobody about us Zimbabweans,,, we where being beaten in botswana for going there looking for survival,,, many have been killed in South Africa also, day by day we loosing our people in deferent way,,, we been slaves for lomg now,,, this sos called government are living large whilst we starving to dearth,,,, SADC are they human beings????? Is there anything called UN because on this stage no1 feel our pain,,,,,, look at how been treated in all this foreign countries,,, we been called with names,, our mothers are being robbed every single day,,,plis plis plis plis GOD hear our prayers for we cry with tears of blood"

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17. Edmore Kazingizi

"Zim Lives Matter"

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18. Lloyd M

"I agree. People need to stop thinking that their input is insignificant. Every single effort is needed. Educating yourself and people around you plays a role in helping the cause ✊🏾"

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19. sharon &nyasha

"Very true we are tired of living in foreign lands #Zimbabwelivesmatter"

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20. Nxopi Nxopi

"EU, USA, UK etc lend us yr ears- Zimbabwean lives matter both black and white - we need yr help."

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21. Elizabeth Mutasa

"I salute you my son...for your courage. ...really it's high time we use our voices as a weapon to fight the regime....our mothers our relatives are suffering. ..they are jobless. .the cost of living is going up every day  ...people can not afford to put a meal on the table for their families..people in the rural areas are starving ...the health system collapsed many years ago...thousands of patients are dying everyday there. ...is no rule of law in Zimbabwe....parents are struggling to send their kids to school...and nobody cares...no one is taking action to rectify the situation. ...the leaders continue to loot the resources of our country at the expense of the poor people. ..the situation back home forced a lot of us to go to the diaspora....but we want to go back to zimbabwe....and we want a better Zimbabwe for every one....enough is enough. ..why is the International community keeping quiet. ....Zimbabwean lives matter too..."

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22. Ashleigh And Family

"I want to go home.. He's right you guys we all need to make videos like this seriously i want to go home ive been in the uk 20 years ive never been happy i want to go back to Zimbabwe! Why are we not fighting for our country this is heartbreaking,  how.many lives have been ruined because of our silence! No more"

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REPLY

23. Tadi Dzue

"So heart breaking 💔🇿🇼"

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24. Mudiwa Karuma

"I really put this video in my watch later collection because I really needed to have a clear head space to take it all in and listening attentively. I resonate so much with all these emotions and thank you so much Tadiwa, for taking your time put all our thoughts and emotions in this video. This is such a delicate topic and just thinking about the state of Zimbabwe is heartbreaking. Thank you for this, knowing it really wasn't easy but it's something that needed to be said. Hopefully one day we'll look at a #FreeZimbabwe and say we fought the good fight. #ZimbabweanLivesMatter I really connected with this video thank you so much for taking the risk and saying your piece, I know it really wasn't easy"

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REPLY

25. Tadi Dzue

"Thank you Mudiwa 🤍

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26. Jackie Solomon

"I feel for the citizens of Zimbabwe. It makes me angry and sad. Be strong and pray. Evill will fall. Concerned white SA citizen. Zanu-pf must fall!!!"

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