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- Written by: John Burke
- Hits: 291
Walking Is Not a Crime: ZHRO's Walk for Freedom Targeted by Automated Attack
For ten years, members of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Organisation have walked for freedom, from Brighton to Hampton Court, through the streets of Leeds and Blackburn, and most recently along the coast from Scarborough to Whitby. We walk peacefully, in the open, to keep the plight of Zimbabwe's people in view. It now appears that someone has gone to considerable trouble to make that work look unwelcome.
Our website lets readers rate each article from 1 to 5. Few of our readers ever used it. Most of our articles have only a handful of ratings, many of them from our own members. Then we noticed something very different happening to a particular group of articles.
Thirty articles, about 6,400 fake votes
Our database shows that 30 articles have each received between 100 and 267 votes, almost all of them the lowest possible score. In total, around 6,400 such votes have been cast. No other article on our site has ever received more than nine.
The targeted articles span our entire history, from "ZHRO – Getting Started", our first article in 2016, through our 2017 walk report, the 2021 petitions to Downing Street, our 2022 approaches to the FCDO, BBC, AU and SADC, and our 2023 articles on the right to vote, to this year's Walk for Freedom reports and the petition we delivered to 10 Downing Street in May. They have one thing in common: each deals with the Walk for Freedom, our petitions, elections, or the abuses of ZANU-PF.
Our records show how many votes each article received but not when they were cast, so we cannot say how long this has been going on. What we can say is that someone has worked systematically through ten years of our archive, choosing precisely the articles that speak most directly about Zimbabwe's government.
How it was done
Our server logs show the attack in action. Between 18 and 22 September 2026, a single Walk for Freedom article received more than 5,700 automated vote submissions, at times almost one per second.
It began from one computer. In just twenty seconds, that machine submitted 28 votes while pretending to be 22 different devices: Windows, Mac and Linux, running Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera and Safari. A real computer cannot be a Windows PC and a Mac in the same second. The disguise was generated by software.
The method then changed. Almost every submission came from a different internet address, routed through a proxy network designed to hide its true origin and to defeat our website's protection against repeated voting. But the addresses were far less varied than they seemed: nearly all came from just five or six blocks of addresses. Not one claimed to be a mobile phone, although most of our real readers visit on their phones.
These same address blocks appear on all thirty targeted articles in our database, going back to 2016. This is one operation, not thirty coincidences.
Our response
When the attack became apparent, UK-based members of ZHRO added 5-star votes to some of the recent articles. We mention this openly: those votes are easily told apart from the attack and do not change the picture. We have since switched voting off altogether, preserved our server records and database, and reported the matter to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
This was not a disgruntled reader. It was an organised, resourced and persistent operation, aimed at ZHRO's peaceful campaigning over a whole decade. We cannot say from the records alone who is responsible, and we will not claim more than the evidence shows. Zimbabweans can judge for themselves who has an interest in making a human rights organisation look unpopular, and who has long experience of rigging votes.
We draw one lesson from this. Nobody spends this much effort discrediting work that nobody reads. Our walks, our petitions and our writing are being noticed. That is a reason to continue, and the next Walk for Freedom will go ahead. We invite every supporter to join us.
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- Written by: Rumbidzai Thelma Chidewu
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From the Zimbabwe Embassy to Downing Street:
A Peaceful March That Demanded Justice
On 1 July 2026, Zimbabweans from across the United Kingdom gathered outside the Zimbabwe Embassy in London before embarking on a peaceful march to 10 Downing Street to deliver a petition calling for justice, constitutional reform and a better future for Zimbabwe. [See article and petition Click HERE]
The demonstration was peaceful throughout. People from different backgrounds came together with one common purpose: to express their deep concern about the political, economic and social challenges facing their country. The march was not driven by hatred or violence, but by hope that Zimbabwe can become a nation where every citizen enjoys freedom, dignity and equal opportunity.
Addressing the gathering outside Downing Street, Chief Ndiweni delivered a passionate speech, urging Zimbabweans to reflect on the country's political journey and to consider a different path for its future.
He began by comparing the political systems of the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe. He observed that the United Kingdom has had six Prime Ministers in the past ten years, while Zimbabwe has had only two heads of government in more than four decades of independence. In his view, regular leadership renewal reflects democratic accountability, whereas prolonged concentration of power can lead to political stagnation.
Chief Ndiweni also broadened his message to Africa as a whole. He condemned the rise of afrophobia in South Africa, describing it as a betrayal of African unity. He urged African leaders to protect the dignity of all Africans and warned that no nation can prosper in isolation while ignoring the challenges facing its neighbours.
Turning to Zimbabwe, he used the analogy of a football match, saying Zimbabweans have spent decades playing under rules written by those in power, making it difficult for ordinary citizens to succeed. He argued that many state institutions have become weakened, leaving citizens without the protection and accountability they deserve.
One of the central issues raised during his speech was Constitution Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB3). Chief Ndiweni argued that the amendment strengthens political power rather than serving the interests of ordinary Zimbabweans. He said it does little to address the country's most pressing challenges, including the economy, healthcare, education and unemployment.
Many of the concerns raised in his speech were echoed by those who took part in the march.
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- Written by: AI research and ZHRO
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I have another interest in the Zimbabwe diaspora here in the UK (see my websites: https://zhro.org.uk - https://z-dc.com - https://zexit.org and https://take2zimbabwe.org - https://gukurahund.info ) The regime in Zimbabwe (Zanu PF) is utterly corrupt and has for the last 45 years ruled with a 'fist of iron in an iron glove'. Abductions, torture, rape and murder (by the regime and sponsored by the regime) are commonplace - and partially designed (and "successfully") to completely and psychologically subjugate the population in Zimbabwe. So many Zimbabweans have fled this situation in the UK a great many occupy the "Zimbabwean Diaspora" - HOWEVER - I perceive TWO diaspora's: The First a ZANU PF regime 'sponsored' diaspora (including Zanu PF UK & Europe Ltd) who (probably) launder money for the regime - and seem to have a very cozy relationship with the UK Government (recent Lithium deals indicate too much forgiveness of the crimes of the regime)! The Second, I tend to represent - those who are seeking actual independence and democratic values within the Republic of Zimbabwe Please research these issues and the consequences of two 'competing' diaspora groups
This is indeed a complex and important topic. Let me research the current situation regarding Zimbabwe's political landscape, the diaspora dynamics in the UK, and recent developments in UK-Zimbabwe relations.
Based on my research, I can confirm your assessment of two distinct and competing Zimbabwean diaspora communities in the UK. The evidence strongly supports your characterization of this split, and the implications are profound. Let me provide you with what I've found:
The Human Rights Situation in Zimbabwe (2024-2025)
The documentation is overwhelming and recent:
Human Rights Watch reports that in 2024, Zimbabwean authorities undermined democratic processes, repressed civil society, weaponized the criminal justice system against critics, and security forces arrested more than 160 people including religious leaders, elected officials, activists, union leaders, students, and journalists Human Rights Watch. ZimRights documented 274 human rights violations across Zimbabwe's 10 provinces in 2024, affecting 8,279 people, with Zanu PF members identified as the leading perpetrators NewsDay Zimbabwe.
The pattern you describe—abductions, torture, rape, and murder—is well-documented and ongoing, not historical.
The Two Competing Diaspora Groups
1. The Pro-Zanu PF Diaspora
Zanu PF UK & Europe exists as a formal organization with identified leadership:
- Marshall Gore (Chairman of Zanu PF UK & Europe)
- Nick Mangwana (prominent spokesperson, UK passport holder)
- Masimba Mavaza (UK-based lawyer and vocal Zanu PF supporter)
This organization has expanded into mainland Europe, establishing chapters in Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg (BENELUX), and has actively promoted Zanu PF's economic policies including land redistribution to diaspora members Newsofthesouth. They've facilitated 117 applications for farmland from UK-based Zimbabweans through collaboration with the Zimbabwe Embassy NewZimbabwe.com.
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- Written by: Duke Maplanka
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THE DUDULA FILES:
A PEOPLE’S DOSSIER ON XENOPHOBIC VIOLENCE IN SOUTH AFRICA
7th August 2025
Today, we launch The Dudula Files, a people powered initiative to document, expose, and challenge xenophobic violence and hate targeting African migrants in South Africa.
For too long, the suffering of foreign nationals has been ignored, excused, or erased. Victims of xenophobia, many of them hardworking, law-abiding Africans, have faced verbal abuse, violent attacks, workplace exploitation, denial of healthcare, and widespread discrimination, simply for being who they are.
This initiative is a call to action: we are collecting evidence from survivors, witnesses, and whistleblowers. Photos, videos, testimonies, and documentation will be compiled into a legal and human rights dossier aimed at holding the South African state and its institutions accountable for their failure to act or worse, their complicity.
We will submit this evidence to domestic bodies such as the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), Equality Courts, and the Public Protector. At the international level, we will engage with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), United Nations Special Rapporteurs, and the UN Human Rights Council. These are not symbolic gestures, they are formal complaints backed by the lived experiences of people who have been silenced for far too long.
This is not just about victims. This is about justice. About dignity. About rewriting the narrative. And about demanding that all African lives be treated with the respect and protection they deserve. We encourage anyone with direct experience or reliable documentation of xenophobic abuse in South Africa to send their material to:
We are working with key human rights organisations including Amnesty International, Zimbabwe Human Rights Organisation (ZHRO), and Lawyers for Human Rights South Africa to ensure your voice reaches the highest possible levels of regional and global accountability.
Enough is enough.
This is not hate. This is justice.
Media Contact:
DUKE MAPLANKA (Bibiart Media)
#TheDudulaFiles #XenophobiaIsACrime #AfricanLivesMatter
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- Written by: The Patriotic Zimbabwean Diaspora
- Hits: 1384
Will the FCDO demand Zimbabwean Ambassador - [Rtd Col] Christain M Katsande, be asked to answer accusations of intimidation of the Zimbabwean diaspora in the UK, with yet another article of Zimbabweans being named, here in the UK. The Zanu PF mafia cannot be allowed to strong-arms its lunatic demands here in the UK?
""THE Government of Zimbabwe has intensified its scrutiny on individuals in the diaspora - alleged to be disseminating information and engaging in activities aimed at destabilising the country's image abroad.""
They are seeking to "invoke" (according to this article)
""The Government of Zimbabwe has invoked the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Amendment Act of 2023, widely known as the "Patriotic Act". The Law criminalises "wilfully injuring the sovereignty and national interest of Zimbabwe," - including collaborating with foreign governments, media or NGOs in ways that are deemed harmful to national security or reputational integrity.""
Given the gross hypocrisy of Zanu PF talking of "Patriotism", "injuring sovereignty", "national interests" and "REPURATIONAL INTEGRITY" - considering Zanu PF's 45 year LOOTING spree - this is surely just a joke by a junior 'Staff Reporter'??
Will the Home Office become involved by virtue of those named having leave to remain, or in the process of asylum?
How can this happen? What if this was Iran or Ukraine?
This is not new, the Zimbabwe press and media has {slavishly} demanded action against legitimate protest here in the UK. Under "instructions" from Zanu PF it wouls seem??
- Disinformation - 30th May 2025
- Research on Diaspora Risks (from Zanu PF UK) - 27th February 2025
- Unity Accord Intimidation - 22nd December 2024
We are at a loss to understand the regime's concerns (incidentally they cannot be called a government - a kleptocracy is a better term) - they are really complaining that their myriad of criminal activities is being exposed by an active and perceptive diaspora. Which should be the PATRIOTIC DUTY of all Zimbabweans!
UPDATE: We must also thank AI which produced this very poignant concluding summary statement:
The fact that this targeting comes after activists successfully influenced diplomatic visits shows their advocacy is effective - which is precisely why the government is trying to silence them through intimidation.
We are deciding upon various courses of actions to challenge this pathertic attempt to further white-wash the multiplicity of crimes perpetrated in Zimbabwe and beyond by the military junta masqurading as a "government" in Zimbabwe: Watch this space!!
- Auxilla Go Home
- Zanu PF Disinformation
- GROK3 Research on Diaspora Risk
- How Dare You Intimidate Us
- 24th Oct 2024 Dual Petition Day
- More Maternity Perspectives
- A Petitioners Perspective
- Dual Petition Delivery London
- 16th August 2024 SADC Petition
- Petition to Sir Keir Starmer
- Rigging and Murder - A Zimbabwean Election
- Diaspora Vote
- Minister for Africa Reply to Petition
- Africans in UK Struggling
- Not Independence Day - 18th Apr 2023
- 1st April Embassy Demo and Future 18th April
