GURU FUND: Role Model Zambia resists repression with solidarity from the GURU fund
Activists from Role Model Zambia found themselves at a crossroads while protesting the Zambian government's refusal to reimburse the Zambian taxpayers after 64 cabinet ministers illegally stayed on in office following the 2016 dissolution of Parliament. The main barrier to the Role Model Zambia protest was an archaic colonial law called the Public Order Act which requires protesters to notify the Police 14 days ahead of an action. This supposedly gives the state time to address the protestors' issue before public pressure ensues. In reality though, the law merely enables ruling party cadres to surveil and repress dissent. The colonial law has empowered the Zambian state to attack protestors, infiltrate protests, and damage property such that organizers of the protests are arrested.
A few days before the planned action, Zambian police denied the activists a protest permit, instead asking the activists to write a formal letter to the Speaker of Parliament relaying their concerns. The Speaker of the National Assembly raised the matter in Parliament based on their letter, and ministers rescinded their decision of refusing to pay back the money (See Principle: The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself). Activists returned to the courts the following week to move ahead with the case that had been pending since 2016.
While they celebrated their win, they drew valuable lessons from their organising process. Role Model Zambia wrote, “Our lesson has been not to seek police permission next time we do an action, as the constitution provides for our freedom of assembly... Though we risk being arrested, we feel it’s for a just cause, because if no one stands up, our politicians would abuse their powers” (See Tactic: Civil Disobedience). Many activists struggle to mobilize and organise for action due to lack of resources. The GURU fund plays a critical role by supporting actors like Role Model Zambia in pushing for change in their communities.
