Jul 11, 2005, 8:31 GMT
Wellington - Henry Olonga, Zimbabwe's first black test cricketer, and Judith Todd, whose father spearheaded the country's drive to independence, will arrive in New Zealand this week to join a campaign against a proposed tour by the national cricket team, it was announced on Monday.
The Green Party said it was paying for Olonga, who fled Zimbabwe in 2003 after wearing a black armband during a world cup match to mourn the death of democracy in his country, to make a speaking tour of New Zealand.
And an organisation called Global Peace and Justice said it was sponsoring a visit by Todd - daughter of Sir Garfield Todd and a long-time campaigner for human rights in Zimbabwe - to help efforts designed to stop next month's New Zealand Black Caps tour.
The government does not want the Black Caps to go but says it will not stop them, though it will ban Zimbabwe from making a scheduled return tour of New Zealand at the end of the year.
Greens co-leader Rod Donald said the party wanted Olonga to give the government and the people of New Zealand a loud and clear message that the Black Caps should not tour Zimbabwe.
"Clearly the government lacks the confidence to do the right thing," he said. "When the public hears first-hand from Henry about the impact stopping the tour would have on (President) Robert Mugabe, Kiwis will give the government an unequivocal message that it must stop the tour."
Sir Garfield Todd, a New Zealander, was Prime Minister of Rhodesia and leading the country towards independence before he was ousted by Ian Smith in 1965. Smith made a unilateral declaration of independence to consolidate white minority rule.
His daughter Judith followed him to become an outspoken opponent of Mugabe and was stripped of Zimbabwean citizenship in 2001. She became a citizen of New Zealand and now lives in South Africa where she is said to be a passionate opponent of Mugabes policies.
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