Zimbabwe Activists Honored By Obama.

Leaders of a Zimbabwe women rights group received a global human rights award from President Obama. This was to honor them for resisting dictatorial rule by President Mugabe in a ceremony held at the White House.

The two leaders,Magodonga Mahlangu and Jenni Williams of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), were awarded with this year’s Robert F Kennedy Human Rights Award.

In his speech, President Obama congratulated the women rights activists for tolerating rough encounters with the police during the street protests. He also acknowledged their struggle that has brought down the oppression from the government.

The Robert F Kennedy Human Rights Award was created in 1984, to honor those who have shown courage and significantly contribute to the fight of human rights in their country.

Ms Mahlangu recounted the several occasions where they were tortured and abused by the authorities.

Human rights groups in Zimbabwe recently urged the regional development bloc to pressurize Mugabe and his ZANU-PF party against their human rights violations. Several rights activists have been abducted and some executed for staging resistance to his leadership.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai recently ended his three-week boycott from the unity government in protest against intimidation of his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party members from Mugabe’s ZANU-PF. [ER]