Zim Struggle For Change drama to stir Francistown

GALE NGAKANE
Correspondent | Tuesday March 23, 2010 00:00

A press release from the organisation's secretariat, which is based at Ditshwanelo-the Botswana Centre for Human Rights, says actors from both Zimbabwe and Botswana will perform in the show, which starts at 6pm at John Mackenzie School.

In the statement signed by Ditshwanelo's director Alice Mogwe, it is said the play 'explores the relationships between Batswana and Zimbabweans as they go about their daily lives.

'It also highlights key issues of governance in the region and how the mechanisms in place respond to them.'BOCISCOZ adds that the play, which depicts the socio-economic realities experienced by both Batswana and Zimbabweans as a result of the socio-economic and political meltdown in Zimbabwe, is a sequel to two shows held in Gaborone in 2007 and 2008.

The shows dubbed Our Song and The People's Voice respectively, which also drew participants from both Zimbabwe and Botswana, were a result of a regional research undertaken by BOCISCOZ in 2006 on the plight of Zimbabweans in Botswana.

More than 450 people including Botswana policy-makers, notably, the Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Affairs, Ponatshego Kedikilwe, attended the 2008 show.

'We have since 2006 carried out a series of public activities to highlight the situation of the people of Zimbabwe and to communicate our appeal to governments in the SADC region to engage the government of Zimbabwe more directly.

'Our activities were also aimed at sensitising our people about the dangers of xenophobia,' said the statement from BOCISCOZ.

As for today's play, which will officially be opened by Justice Mpaphi Phumaphi, BOCISCOZ is urging Francistown residents to throng John Mackenzie School to watch the performance.

BOCISCOZ comprises civil society organisations in Botswana which have resolved to act in solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe, who until recently were facing a tyrannical rule in their country. The organisations that make up BOCISCOZ include Botswana Council of Churches (BCC), Botswana Secondary School Teachers Trade Union (BOSETU), the Botswana Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (BOCONGO), the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Botswana Chapter, The Concerned Africans Association (CAA), the People to People Coalition in Zimbabwe (PPCZ), Amnesty International Botswana, the International Socialists Botswana, the Disability HIV/AIDS Trust (DHAT), the Botswana Congress Party (BCP), and the Botswana National Front Youth League (BNFYL).

Others are the Bible Society of Botswana (BSB), Kgolagano Theological College, the Lutheran Church, Tirisanyo Catholic Commission, the Dutch Reformed Church, the Evangelical Fellowship of Botswana (EFB), the Kweneng Rural Development Association (KRDA), Lifeline Botswana, the Botswana Community Based Organisation Network (BOCOBONET) the Botswana Network on Law, HIV and AIDS (BONELA), the Botswana Unified Local Government Services Association (BULGASA), the Botswana Teachers' Union (BTU), Habitat for Humanity Botswana, CORDE and so on.