Phylis Walker Viewpoint
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- Written by: Phylis Melody Magejo
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On a bright, slightly overcast Saturday morning at 5:30am, just after dawn, activists gathered at Brighton Pier, ready to begin their challenging 100km journey to raise awareness and solidarity for Zimbabwe. Setting off just after 6:00am along Brighton's promenade towards Grand Avenue. Once there we began the long gentle slope up and out of Brighton.
We stopped in a small park for a few photos at around 8:00am, before moving past the Football-Golf facility, that our 'Walk for Freedom' route skirts, towards the footbridge crossing of the A27 Dual carriageway. With walkers coming from all over the UK, the atmosphere was filled with determination and hope, as the warming summer sun begun to shine down on our faces as we crossed the A27 and up a steep incline to the start of the long, long footpath up to Devil's Dyke. [Benfield Hill Local Nature Reserve in fact! see photo at this link taken at 8:30am]
We got to the Devil's Dyke area around 9:45am and as you can realise well over three hours to get up here - remember we started at sea level and now we are at 217 metres (712 ft) high - the view over the open Weald is breath-taking - so much space - all those trees and fields - such an uplifting experience. .....And we danced, and we sang and we played the drum too - the other tourist up there were asking questions, what was it about? Many were taking photos and videos - already our activism is making an impact. [See one of our video of our shenanigans at this link CLICK]
It was all exhausting - but the dance gave us renewed strength! Now came the surprisingly difficult descent from atop of Devil's Dyke down to the village of Fulking. So steep in places that John had advised us to walk sideways to avoid falling. Once down on the level again - we set off towards Henfield to the Locomotive Public House - where we would start on this part of the Downs Link - which would take us to Christ's Hospital Railway Station and Beyond that on the next leg of this Walk for Freedom to Guildford (in the early hours of Sunday 10th August as it transpired) - aided in our night manoeuvres with head torches and a full moon.
Taking the Downs Link route towards London, the walk was far from easy; it demanded speed and stamina, especially as we aimed to reach 'Christ's Hospital' Railway Station before nightfall.
Freedom Walk Perspectives
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- Written by: Ettar Mhlanga
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Freedom Walk Speech: “ZANU PF Must Go
My brothers and sisters,
Fellow Zimbabweans — in the UK, in the diaspora, and back home —
Today, we walk not just with our feet, but with our hearts.
We walk for freedom. We walk for justice. We walk because ZANU PF must go!
The pain and betrayal of the people:
For over four decades, we have been ruled by a system that has turned against its own people.
ZANU PF, a party that once promised liberation, has become the very machinery of our suffering.
Our mothers go to sleep hungry.
Our youth have no jobs, no future.
Our hospitals are collapsing, our teachers are unpaid, our elders are disrespected.
We are not here because we hate our country.
We are here because we love it too much to keep silent.
105km For Zimbabwe
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- Written by: Kelvin Mhlanga
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WALK FOR FREEDOM – 105KM FOR ZIMBABWE
From Brighton Pier to Hampton Court, London, dubbed the Walk for Freedom — 105km of relentless walking. Two days of pain, fatigue, and pushing past our limits. It wasn’t easy. Every step was a battle against tired legs, sore feet, and exhaustion. But for my country, it was worth every moment of hardship. The two-day journey shone a light on the regime’s long-standing record of political oppression, election rigging, corruption, enforced disappearances, and economic mismanagement — all of which continue to suffocate millions of Zimbabweans at home and in exile.
Why 105KM?
The distance symbolises the endurance and resilience of Zimbabweans across decades of suffering. It represents the long, painful road the nation has travelled — and the hope that still remains for freedom, justice, and democratic change. We walked because Zimbabwe is suffering under the weight of human rights abuses caused by the ZANU-PF regime. We walked for the silenced, the oppressed, and those who cannot walk for themselves. We walked to say: enough is enough.
“We walked for those who cannot walk— for every Zimbabwean whose voice has been silenced, for every activist who’s been jailed, for every citizen living in fear.”
“This isn’t just a walk. It’s a cry for justice. It’s a call to the world to stop ignoring Zimbabwe’s pain.”- Kelvin T Mhlanga
Under ZANU PF, Zimbabwe has seen:
Honouring Zimbabwe’s Fallen Heroes
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- Written by: Patson Muzuwa
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Walking for Freedom:
Honouring Zimbabwe’s Fallen Heroes Through Action, Not Empty Ceremonies:
Tears once fell like rivers during Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle — rivers so vast they seemed to flood the land. In those days, Matapi Flats were built to house workers powering a growing economy. Men and women walked miles to cross into Mozambique, Zambia, and Tanzania for military training. Those who stayed behind risked everything to act as collaborators. Blood was shed, lives lost, and hopes pinned on a dream of an independent nation.
Yet, decades later, the country’s heroes might scarcely recognise the land they fought for. Today, Zimbabwe boasts a well-decorated National Heroes Acre, but the spirits of the fallen could be imagined roaming the streets in silent fury. From afar, they might see the unthinkable:
those who never stepped onto the battlefield now feasting from gold and silver plates, while the ordinary citizens they once fought to liberate die in collapsing hospitals, sell wares on the streets despite university degrees, and watch their ancestral land handed to foreign investors with government blessing.
Clean water is scarce, medication elusive unless one is connected to the powerful. Women are reduced to following the presidential entourage from rally to rally, dancing for a few dollars to feed their families. Elderly women practice suggestive dances — not for joy, but in the desperate hope of earning a $20 or $50 handout.
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