It was not to be. President Robert Mugabe’s police on Friday told the Zimbabwe branch of the Royal Society of St George that their celebratory picnic on a farm was banned under the Public Order and Security Act (Posa). The law is routinely used to quash political rallies and demonstrations.
The society was founded in 1894 “with the noble object of promoting Englishness and the English way of life”. It describes itself as “the standard bearer of traditional English values at home and abroad.”
The Zimbabwe chapter consists of about 60 souls, with an average age of about 70, according to members. They meet annually also to commemorate Armistice Day, Battle of Britain Day and Waterloo Day, the men wearing their military medals.
“I have to say that I really don’t want to comment,” said Brian Heathcote, the president of the society. “It’s a sad day.” However, society members said police told Heathcote that a crowd of whites waving the Union Jack on a white-owned farm would provoke trouble among local militants of Mugabe’s Zanu PF party.
The society’s committee emailed its members on Friday to tell them that “we will not be allowed to hold our picnic to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.”Zimbabwe’s law does not require police permission for a private gathering on private property, it said, “but we, as a committee, feel that it is prudent under the present situation in the country not to be perceived to be creating political mischief with the authorities (sic)”.
Unbowed, the email said that the barring of the picnic “does not mean that you as individuals cannot privately toast Zimbabwe and the Queen”. Members of the committee would be at the Harare Club from noon and “would be pleased if any of you could join us there for a short time there to remember this day.“We are British and have risen above situations before with dignity, and this will no exception.”
A British embassy official said the incident was “regrettable”. Deborah Bronnert, the British ambassador, was due to have attended. However, the official pointed out that the Jubilee would be celebrated “on a large scale”, with the Queen’s birthday, at the embassy next week.
