Date: Wed, 31 Jul 1996 18:20:46 +0200 From: Bjoern Skolander The result of the court hearing on the banning of GALZ from Zimbabwe's International Book Fair and the censorship act, which was held at 11.30 this morning (31 July, 1996) in Harare, is presented in the following report from Mai Palmberg: LATEST NEWS FROM HARARE: VICTORY BUT FEAR OF VIOLENCE!!! The court has declared invalid the government order prohibiting GALZ from putting up a stand and exhibiting material at the Zimbabwe International Book Fair. Thus GALZ can be at the fair, which opens tomorrow for the public. But the matter does not end there. The book fair organisers fear that violence will be unleashed if those student groups which have been threatening violence are putting their threats into action. The book fair trustees met on Wednesday, before the court order was known, and decided after considerable discussion, that they would follow the law if the initial order was declared unlawful. At the same time, the student representative council at the University of Zimbabwe has condemned the book fair management for letting Galz participate, and said if they did, they (the students would definitely be there), and it should be known to the ZIBF management "that their uncultural behaviour may prove detrimental to the Book fair" and may see the gays and lesbians "face public genocide unceremoniously" (Herald July 31, 1996, p. 11). One wonders how a government paper can print such incitement to violence and, as far as I can read this statement, even promising killing. Mai Palmberg, Harare July 31, 1996 PS: On Wednesday, in the morning a loud and potentially violent crowd of students were rioting at the university. They did not have placards, and it is not entirely clear what they demonstrated about. Some believed that they were demonstrating about financial conditions for students, which they have been demonstrating about for some days. Others believed they supported the condemnation of galz and would have come to the book fair grounds in the centre of town if the police had not prevented them from doing so. /MP