Zimbabwean Lives Matter

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Zimbabwean Lives Matter is a Zimbabwean protest movement modeled after the American Black Lives Matter campaign. The protest movement is directed towards the Zimbabwean government of incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa who took over through a 2017 bloodless coup from Robert Mugabe.

Contents

Celebrities who have endorsed the cause

Celebrities who have expressed support for the protest include former Botswana President Ian Khama, [1] Ice Cube, Lecrae and actresses Thandiwe Newton, Beyoncé Knowles [2] and Pearl Thusi. [3] Tsitsi Dangarembga, retired South African Rugby player of Zimbabwean origin Tendai Mtawarira and Thomas Mapfumo were some of the Zimbabweans who also expressed support. [4] The protest movement had more than 700,000 tweets as of August 2020. [5]

Organizers

Like the Black Lives Matter protest movement, the Zimbabwean Lives Matter protest movement does not have a central organizer as most of the activists have been protesting through their microblogging Twitter accounts. A repository of Zimbabwean Lives Matter materials has been created. [6]

Related Research Articles

The Batswana, a term also used to denote all citizens of Botswana, refers to the country's major ethnic group. Prior to European contact, the Batswana lived as herders and farmers under tribal rule.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Botswana Democratic Party</span> Dominant political party in Botswana

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seretse Khama</span> First President of Botswana from 1966 to 1980

Sir Seretse Goitsebeng Maphiri Khama, GCB, KBE was a Botswanan politician who served as the first President of Botswana, a post he held from 1966 to his death in 1980.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">MELS Movement of Botswana</span> Political party in Botswana

The MELS Movement of Botswana is an anti-revisionist Marxist-Leninist communist party in Botswana without parliamentary representation. Themba Joina, a practicing lawyer, is the president of the organization. The name MELS is derived from (Karl) Marx, (Friedrich) Engels, (Vladimir) Lenin and (Joseph) Stalin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mompati Merafhe</span> 6th vice-president of Botswana from 2008 to 2012

Mompati Sebogodi Merafhe was a Botswana politician who was Vice-President of Botswana from 2008 to 2012. He was a retired Lieutenant-General and served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1994 to 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Botswana general election</span>

General elections were held in Botswana on 16 October 2009, alongside local elections, with early voting in 26 polling stations abroad taking place 3 October. The result was a tenth successive victory for the Botswana Democratic Party, which won 45 of the 57 elected seats in the National Assembly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Botswana–South Africa relations</span> Bilateral relations

Botswana–South Africa relations refers to the historical and current relationship of Botswana and South Africa. Botswana has a high commission in Pretoria, and South Africa has a high commission in Gaborone. Both countries are former British colonies and members of the African Union, the Commonwealth of Nations, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian Khama</span> Fourth president of Botswana from 2008 to 2018

Seretse Khama Ian Khama is a Botswana politician and former military officer who was the fourth President of the Republic of Botswana from 1 April 2008 to 1 April 2018. After serving as Commander of the Botswana Defence Force, he entered politics and was Vice-President of Botswana from 1998 to 2008, then succeeded Festus Mogae as President on 1 April 2008. He won a full term in the 2009 election and was re-elected in October 2014.

The Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) is an opposition political party in Botswana established in 2010 by MPs and other politicians who split from the ruling Botswana Democratic Party over differences with Ian Khama, the BDP's leader and President of Botswana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mokgweetsi Masisi</span> President of Botswana since 2018

Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi is the fifth and current President of Botswana, serving since 2018. He served as the 8th Vice President of Botswana from 12 November 2014 to 1 April 2018. He was a Member of Parliament in the National Assembly for the Moshupa-Manyana constituency from 2009 to 2018.

Gladys Keitumetse Theresa Kokorwe is a Botswana politician who was the Speaker of the National Assembly from 2014 to 2019. She is a member of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Lives Matter</span> Social movement originating in the US

Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement that seeks to highlight racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people, and promote anti-racism. Its primary concerns are incidents of police brutality and racially motivated violence against black people. It started following the killings of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Rekia Boyd, among others. The movement and its related organizations typically advocate for various policy changes considered to be related to black liberation. While there are specific organizations that label themselves simply as "Black Lives Matter," such as the Black Lives Matter Global Network, the overall movement is a decentralized network of people and organizations with no formal hierarchy. The slogan "Black Lives Matter" itself remains untrademarked by any group. Despite being characterized by some as a violent movement, the overwhelming majority of its public demonstrations have been peaceful.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeRay Mckesson</span> American activist

DeRay Mckesson is an American civil rights activist, podcaster, and former school administrator. An early supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement, he has been active in the protests in Ferguson, Missouri, and Baltimore, Maryland and on social media outlets such as Twitter and Instagram. He has also written for HuffPost and The Guardian. Along with Johnetta Elzie, Brittany Packnett, and Samuel Sinyangwe, Mckesson launched Campaign Zero, a policy platform to end police violence. He is currently part of Crooked Media and hosts Pod Save the People.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Formation (song)</span> 2016 single by Beyoncé

"Formation" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé for her sixth studio album Lemonade (2016). It was written by Beyoncé, Mike WiLL Made-It, Swae Lee, and Pluss, and produced by the former two. It served as the album's lead single, surprise-released on February 6, 2016, through Parkwood Entertainment. "Formation" is an R&B song with trap and bounce influences, in which Beyoncé celebrates her culture, identity and success as a black woman from the Southern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Botswana general election</span>

General elections were held in Botswana on 23 October 2019 to elect MPs and local government councillors. Despite a high profile split in the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in May 2019 when former President Ian Khama left the party and switched his support to the new Botswana Patriotic Front, the BDP's vote share increased to almost 53% as the party won 38 of the 57 elected seats in the National Assembly, a gain of one compared to the 2014 elections. The elections were the twelfth straight victory for the BDP.

Botswana held a general election in October 2019. Though it was more competitive than previous elections, it resulted in a victory for the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) and won an addition term for President Mokgweetsi Masisi. Botswana saw an escalation in the rivalry between Masisi and his predecessor Ian Khama, with Khama leaving the Botswana Democratic Party to support the Botswana Patriotic Front and the Umbrella for Democratic Change. Following the BDP's victory, opposition leaders challenged the results of the election.

Individuals and organizations throughout the United States and the world have responded to the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent protests and riots.

Botswana saw the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Lockdowns were implemented between March and May, and restrictions continued throughout the year. The previous year's general election was disputed by the opposition, and several cases were filed to overturn the results. Tensions rose with South Africa in 2020 as Botswana sought the prosecution of Bridgette Radebe. Concerns regarding wildlife conservation increased in 2020 as elephants began dying off in large numbers, as well as similar concerns about vultures. Armed conflicts with poachers continued throughout the year, including the killing of four men in November that caused protests in Namibia.

Botswana continued to address the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022, including the discovery of the COVID-19 variant Omicron BA.4 and BA.5, with COVID-19 restrictions being relaxed in October. Continued disputes took place regarding the Botswana–Namibia border, though an open border was established in September. The rivalry between President Mokgweetsi Masisi and his predecessor Ian Khama escalated in 2022, accelerated by firearms charges against Khama and a warrant for his arrest. The government also saw controversy for its support of bills that would grant it additional espionage powers and regulate journalists.

References

  1. "Former Botswana President Ian Khama stands in solidarity with Zimbabweans". Gambakwe. 7 August 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  2. "My thoughts and prayers remain with our Nigerian brothers and sisters fighting to end SARS". Beyoncé. Archived from the original on 2021-10-27. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  3. Harding, Andrew (4 August 2020). "Rappers and actors push Zimbabwe hashtag viral". BBC. BBC. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  4. Ndhlovu, Ray (4 August 2020). "Zimbabwe Protesters Draw Inspiration From Black Lives Matter". Bloomberg. Bloomberg. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  5. Ndhlovu, Ray (4 August 2020). "Zimbabwean Lives Matter movement grows with support from big names". Business day. Business Day. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  6. "Zimbabwean Lives Matter Archives". zimbabwean-lives-matter.org. Retrieved 2020-11-24.