On Thursday 24th July Woking Council took the first steps by a local council, led by the opposition liberal democrat group, but with cross party support, against the despicable human rights abuses perpetrated by the Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe.  It is great that the local MDC group turned out in force to support the motion.

It is very difficult for a local council to take action on the international stage.  For a number of reasons it was not legally possible to seek to restrict trade that supported the Mugabe regime as had originally been proposed in Cllr Denzil Coulson’s motion on 10th July.  The amended motion passed on Thursday 24th July, goes as far as a council can to express the concern of the people of Woking at the atrocities in Zimbabwe, at the same time taking what little action we are empowered to take.  The key thrust of this is the request to Surrey County Council’s pension fund holders to seek an ethical investment policy.  If this is to be successful, pressure will need to be sought not only from Woking, but other parts of Surrey too.Woking Liberal Democrats hope that with the help of other Liberal Democrat groups across the UK this motion or others of a similar form will be passed by other councils, creating a grass roots effort in support of the people of Zimbabwe.  As Liberal Democrat group leader Cllr Ian Johnson said ‘Mugabe often accuses Great Britain of imperialist intentions, this shows that it is the ordinary people of Woking who care about the terrible situation in Zimbabwe”.

The motion passed reads as follows:

This Council resolves to:

i) condemn in the strongest terms the human rights and other abuses perpetrated by or in association with the Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe;

ii) express its recognition, support and respect for the human rights of individuals and to actively promote human rights;

iii) ask the Chief Executive to write to the Trustees of the Surrey County Council Pension Fund and encourage their adoption of an ethical investment policy, so far as is consistent with proper financial stewardship and securing the best returns for its beneficiaries.\

iv) write an open letter to the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, the Rt Hon. Hazel Blears MP, requesting enablement through statutory instrument to permmit a preference for doing business with companies that have no involvement with the Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe.