Zimbabwe Cricket thingy...

[placidfemme]

Just recieved an e-mail from some MP (See below), regarding the Zimbabwe cricket team and the such... so just incase anyone is interested:

From: Danna Glendining [Danna.Glendining@parliament.govt.nz]
Subject: Invitation to meet with Henry Olonga & to the protest - Stop the Cricket Tour

Stop the Black Caps Tour!
HENRY OLONGA
Henry Olonga is a former Zimbabwean cricketer who was charged with treason by Robert Mugabe, for wearing a black arm band to protest against human rights abuses.

This week, Rod Donald has the privilege of hosting him in Auckland.
On Friday, the 15th of July you are invited to come and meet him and hear why he thinks the Black Caps should not play in Zimbabwe next month. He’ll be joined by Judith Todd, the daughter of Garfield Todd, a former Prime Minister of Zimbabwe. She recently delivered a passionate appeal against the ongoing oppression in Zimbabwe, to the Cape Town Press Club.

Date: Friday 15 July from 8pm
Venue: Aotea Chapel, Methodist Mission Northern, 370 Queen St (Opposite the Town Hall)

PROTEST MARCH
Date: Saturday 16 July, from midday.
Venue: Bottom of Queen Street.
Get along and show your support for a boycott of the tour.
Please forward this email on to anyone you think might be interested, your support is very much appreciated.
Lindis Capper-Starr
Auckland Campaign Manager
Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand
phone: 09 376 4143
mobile: 025 205 6585

[placidfemme]

Yeah I agree (being a Zimbabwean myself), so many people give me shit for saying the matches shouldn't happen until Mugabe sorts his shit out... they say "but it's your team" and I reply with "yes and also my people that are dying and they're more important than a game"

I won't be able to go to the march though.... not unless I finish work early...

[placidfemme]

yeah I'll have to pull a sneaky and lie about what I'm doing... my boss and I have had heated discussions over this and he's a big cricket fan and thinks they should play as he says "sports have nothing to do with politics"

I'll post here and let ya know how it went (it'll be on TV no doubt) if I go

[SixPackBack]

Mugabe is likely to get a bad case of lead poisoning shortly..........pity there is no oil in Zim. Bush would be there like a shot!

[Lou Girardin]

Olonga came across really well on TV. His was a very accurate comment that if something is not done now, we'll have another Rwanda in 5 years time.
But I wonder when Mbeki is going to get off his butt and say something, or is solidarity with a fellow leader more important?

[pete376403]

...But I wonder when Mbeki is going to get off his butt and say something, or is solidarity with a fellow leader more important?

More correctly, solidarity with a fellow BLACK leader... if what is happening in Zim was under a white president, the whole world would be howling for his head.
Mbeki would probably love to be doing what mugabe is doing, just can't work out how to get away with it.

BTW, can the players themselves withdraw from the tour? Has anyone asked Fleming, Vettori, etc not to go?

[placidfemme]

Olonga came across really well on TV. His was a very accurate comment that if something is not done now, we'll have another Rwanda in 5 years time.
But I wonder when Mbeki is going to get off his butt and say something, or is solidarity with a fellow leader more important?

Mbeki is a bigger idoit then Mugabe... Mbeki said "everyone knows there is no conncetion between AIDS and HIV... and SA does not have an AIDS problem as most of them only have HIV"

They all support each other...

[Skyryder]

On the news tonight they said the ICCwould not be able to do anything if the NZ Government stopped the tour.. so theres our only hope.

My history is a bit fuzzy on this but didn't Labour stop one of the Springbok tours and if memory serves me correct they lost the next election.

Skyryder

[k14]

BTW, can the players themselves withdraw from the tour? Has anyone asked Fleming, Vettori, etc not to go?

Nope they cant, the contracted players are obliged to go weather they like it or not, its NZ cricket that has to make the decision and the players have to do what they say or else they are in breach of their contracts.

I also agree that the situation in zimbabwe is atrocious and something definately needs to be done about it. Basically its the opposite of aparthide (sp?) and when that happened the sporting world boycotted the south africans.

The only problem that there is is the $3million fine that NZ cricket will be slapped with if we fail to tour. Its pretty obvious that NZC can't afford to pay for this so the government should step in and offer to pay it. After all I have heard Clark denounce the Zimbabwean government multiple times but yet they don't want to foot the bill.

My 2c anyway, and I would class myself as a very avid cricket fan.

[k14]

The fine would only be effective if NZ Cricket pull the plug on the tour. That goes to ICC.
If the Government rule that the cricket side will not go to Zimbabwe for political reasons then there is no fine. The ICC can not fine a team for not touring because the Government wont let them.
And with the players... What if they all suddenly feined illness/not fit to play?

Nope the fine would go to zimbabwe cricket, basically straight to mugabe.

The nz gvt wont step in because they dont have support from many of the other cricketing nations, only auzzie and england have said they will support us.

Its a bit of a loose loose situation, I'll just be happy to see some cricket. Atleast we will win

[Lou Girardin]

John Morrison was on morning TV today.
It's been a while since I've heard such pathetic, self-serving drivel. 1981 to be exact.
I thought sports people were supposed to be role models for our young people. How can this be when they show a total lack of moral courage?
How can you let a tyrant like Mugabe take moral support from sportspeople playing in his country?
It's all quite sick-making.

[Paul in NZ]

Yeah I agree (being a Zimbabwean myself), ...

I'm still trying to come to terms with the notion of a Gay Zimbabwean...

Please don't tell me you are a coloured, vegetarian, Bhuddist as well... Us poor middle aged white dudes can take so many shattered mis conceptions per day ya know!

[Wellyman]

Bloody green party. I think they should come down here and play if they want to play us in a series because I think it isn't worth the risk sending them over there.
WM

[k14]

Bloody green party. I think they should come down here and play if they want to play us in a series because I think it isn't worth the risk sending them over there.
WM

Yeah well they are supposed to be coming here in december, but the NZ gvt has already stated that they will not be giving visas to the players when the come here. The only benefit this has is that it looses NZC a couple of million in sponsorship and tv money, so will just put us in a worse financial state that we already are, after loosing the sri lanka series at the start of this year.

I don't think there is much risk involved with them going over there, they don't have problems with suicide bombers etc, just a problem with the dicatator. I guess the problem is that by letting us go over there we are condoning what is happening over there at the moment.

I just want to see some cricket.

[Oscar]

John Morrison was on morning TV today.
It's been a while since I've heard such pathetic, self-serving drivel. 1981 to be exact.
I thought sports people were supposed to be role models for our young people. How can this be when they show a total lack of moral courage?
How can you let a tyrant like Mugabe take moral support from sportspeople playing in his country?
It's all quite sick-making.

I agree.
The whole thing is 1981 all over again (and I marched then). I do have a couple of rants though:

1. The huge double standard being foisted on us here - particularly by that smarmy bastid Mallard. He is trying to get the cricketers to shun Zimbabwe, whilst the Gummint crawls to worse regimes like China.

2. The hypocrisy of the South African Govt. Nelson Mandela told us that our protests in 1981 helped change things - this made me feel better about having my head clunked at Eden Park in '81. Now they are supporting Zimbabwe - if you recall during the cricket world cup, they criticised England for refusing to play in Zimbabwe....