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Activists 'escorted' out of Tanzania
DUDUZILE MATHEBULA | JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - May 06 2010 17:01
Johannesburg on Thursday afternoon after attending meetings related to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Dar es Salam. They had been detained by Tanzanian authorities in the country's capital and escorted to the airport.
"I feel disappointed," said Paula Akugizibwe, advocate co-ordinator for the Aids and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa (Arasa), who spoke to the Mail & Guardian after arriving in Cape Town from Johannesburg. "It was quite clear that our intentions were non-threatening."
The activists were handing over a memorandum entitled "Health is Wealth", which emphasises the need for increased investment in health, particularly HIV, TB and malaria in Africa.
According to Arasa executive director Michaela Clayton, the group was part of a coalition of NGO representatives from ten countries who had a regional meeting before the WEF began to draft the memorandum and discuss funding shortfalls.
Arasa and other civil society organisations, such as the Global Youth Coalition on HIV/Aids, had obtained a permit to hold a peaceful march in order to handover the memorandum, along with 800 supporters, but the group received word on the eve of the forum that no one would be allowed to demonstrate.
According to Akugizibwe, the group had the support of South African musician Yvonne Chaka Chaka, who is a UN goodwill ambassador for the region, and Christoph Benn, director of external relations for the Global Fund to fight Aids, TB and Malaria. Akugizibwe said Yvonne Chaka Chaka told the authorities that the group was with her and she supported their cause and she, along with Benn, would hand over the memorandum in the forum. The gathering only lasted 15 minutes.
"We don't know who called the police but there was a heavy police presence at the forum," said Akugizibwe.
"We heard that protesters from another group were hosed down with water pipes earlier. We weren't concerned as we caused no disruption. But on our way back to the bus going to the hotel we were arrested. On arrival at the police station we had to give statements and were later told that we can go on the condition that we leave the country."
She said that no formal deportation order was issued.
The M&G contacted the Tanzanian High Commission in South Africa for comment, but a spokesperson said they knew nothing of the incident.
Meanwhile, Clayton is not sure if the memorandum -- which was issued in response to the rapid backtracking of both donors and national governments on their commitments to funding universal access of HIV/Aids -- ever reached its destination.
"It speaks to the broader challenges about the political situation in the region," Akugizibwe said. "Although the experience has been negative we hope the message will get through to the leaders. We didn't go there to cause trouble but to carry a message about the importance of health funding. It is unfortunate that the message got lost in the politics of freedom of expression in Tanzania."
When the M&G managed to get hold of Yvonne Chaka Chaka, she had this to say about the incident:
"It was very unfortunate, because they only wanted their voices to be heard. And I was only happy to take their memorandum. I was shocked to hear that after I saw them they were arrested and deported. I think we all know that in forums like these ones we will always have people demonstrating because they feel decisions are made without them being included."
Source: http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-05-06-activists-escorted-out-of-tanzania
DUDUZILE MATHEBULA | JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - May 06 2010 17:01
Johannesburg on Thursday afternoon after attending meetings related to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Dar es Salam. They had been detained by Tanzanian authorities in the country's capital and escorted to the airport.
"I feel disappointed," said Paula Akugizibwe, advocate co-ordinator for the Aids and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa (Arasa), who spoke to the Mail & Guardian after arriving in Cape Town from Johannesburg. "It was quite clear that our intentions were non-threatening."
The activists were handing over a memorandum entitled "Health is Wealth", which emphasises the need for increased investment in health, particularly HIV, TB and malaria in Africa.
According to Arasa executive director Michaela Clayton, the group was part of a coalition of NGO representatives from ten countries who had a regional meeting before the WEF began to draft the memorandum and discuss funding shortfalls.
Arasa and other civil society organisations, such as the Global Youth Coalition on HIV/Aids, had obtained a permit to hold a peaceful march in order to handover the memorandum, along with 800 supporters, but the group received word on the eve of the forum that no one would be allowed to demonstrate.
According to Akugizibwe, the group had the support of South African musician Yvonne Chaka Chaka, who is a UN goodwill ambassador for the region, and Christoph Benn, director of external relations for the Global Fund to fight Aids, TB and Malaria. Akugizibwe said Yvonne Chaka Chaka told the authorities that the group was with her and she supported their cause and she, along with Benn, would hand over the memorandum in the forum. The gathering only lasted 15 minutes.
"We don't know who called the police but there was a heavy police presence at the forum," said Akugizibwe.
"We heard that protesters from another group were hosed down with water pipes earlier. We weren't concerned as we caused no disruption. But on our way back to the bus going to the hotel we were arrested. On arrival at the police station we had to give statements and were later told that we can go on the condition that we leave the country."
She said that no formal deportation order was issued.
The M&G contacted the Tanzanian High Commission in South Africa for comment, but a spokesperson said they knew nothing of the incident.
Meanwhile, Clayton is not sure if the memorandum -- which was issued in response to the rapid backtracking of both donors and national governments on their commitments to funding universal access of HIV/Aids -- ever reached its destination.
"It speaks to the broader challenges about the political situation in the region," Akugizibwe said. "Although the experience has been negative we hope the message will get through to the leaders. We didn't go there to cause trouble but to carry a message about the importance of health funding. It is unfortunate that the message got lost in the politics of freedom of expression in Tanzania."
When the M&G managed to get hold of Yvonne Chaka Chaka, she had this to say about the incident:
"It was very unfortunate, because they only wanted their voices to be heard. And I was only happy to take their memorandum. I was shocked to hear that after I saw them they were arrested and deported. I think we all know that in forums like these ones we will always have people demonstrating because they feel decisions are made without them being included."
Source: http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-05-06-activists-escorted-out-of-tanzania
