South Africa:Cameroonians hold massive demo to denounce Biya

There are reports of ‘panic’ at the Cameroon High Commission, 80 Marais Street, Brooklyn Pretoria, South Africa, at a planned protest demonstration by opposition parties and Cameroonians on April 22, 2016.

Sources at the embassy said though their services would function normally, the tensed atmosphere the demonstration would create , remains a concern. The organizers of the picket, dubbed ‘Black Friday,’ said they intend to warn Yaoundé authorities, that they have had enough from the regime.

“We are protesting as Cameroonians in the Diaspora who want political and other reforms in our country. We have had enough. We are charting a path for the Third Republic post-Biya era,” said the SDF Chairman for South Africa, Milton Taka.

The message from the Chairman of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement, CMR, SA is almost the same. "We are sending a signal to the BIYA regime that 34 years at the helm of our beloved country has contributed to the deterioration and disintegration of the country. He should retire. Let Cameroonians come out in their numbers," said Nestor Djomatchui.

The Cameron People’s Party, CPP’s Chair for SA, Sofa Augustine corroborates. “The protest is part of our struggle for a better Cameroon with no water no electricity amid abundant natural resources. We want the economic and social transformation of our country,” said Sofa Augustine.

The three political parties are preparing to hand over a memorandum to the Cameroon High Commissioner for South Africa, Adrien Kouambo after the protest. The CPDM South Africa is condemning the protest arguing that Cameroonians are not supposed to wash their dirty linings in public.

Below are full declarations from both the opposition parties and the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, CPDM ahead of the April 22, 2016, Black ‘Friday’ Protest.

WE WANT ‘BIYAISM’ TO STOP The theme of the protest is #Stop Biyaism# which captures all what Cameroonians believe has stalled their developmental process as a country. We are organizing this march as Cameroonians in the diaspora.’ "Black Friday.’...black symbolizes mourning for our nation. We are mobilizing all Cameroonians to adopt Fridays in the diaspora as a protest day.

We need government to revisit health policies and procedures, our social security system and ensure the poor are properly catered for by our health system. We need justice for Monique Koumateke. All involved in wrong doing must not only be fired by have their day in court. We will be highlighting the deplorable future for Cameroon and the increasing hopelessness of our youths and creating paths for the 3rd Republic post Biya.

We will be launching an international campaign on Biya to sign the dual nationality bill.Those are the 4 pillars of the #Stop Biyaism or # Down with Biyaism campaign. SDF SA and the SDF Youth League, are mobilising Cameroonians to join us restore dignity to our country.

MILTON TAKA, SDF CHAIR, SOUTH AFRICA WE NEED WATER, ELECTRICITY

The CPP has always stood for change; a change of the status quo and the political climate in Cameroon. Our recent 'Standup 4 Cameroon' initiative to wear Black every Friday to demand for water, electricity and health has been gaining momentum worldwide. We did protest at the Douala Laquantinie hospital debacle after which our President, Comrade Kah Walla and others were arrested.

The CPP sees this protest at the Cameroon Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa as an opportunity to join hands with all Cameroonians who want social and economic transformation for all. This, therefore, gives us a platform to continue the struggle for a better Cameroon.

The CPP shares a common goal with other political parties fighting for change in Cameroon SOFA AUGUSTINE, CPP CHAIR, SOUTH AFRICA WE EXPECT BIYA TO RETIRE AFTER 34 YEARS Cameroon Renaissance Movement,CMR, in South Africa will take part of the protest demonstration on April 22 at the Cameroon Embassy in Pretoria.

We are sending a signal to the BIYA regime that 34 years at the helm of our beloved country has contributed to the deterioration and disintegration of the country.

No electricity, no water, no roads, no health system for the poor. We want to tell him and his regime that enough is enough and that we expect him to retire. We have continued the struggle to demand for reformation of the electoral laws. All the opposition parties have a common enemy which is the dictatorship of the BIYA regime.

There is the need for the opposition parties to come together and talk with one voice and have a common strategy to remove the regime in power. All the political parties MUST leave their partisan views aside and focus on the enemy of our nation. Without a coalition of all opposition parties, we are doomed to fall and by so doing, extending BIYA regime.

Since the beginning of the campaign, I am wearing Black every Friday. We hope to continue wearing black until the regime crumbles. We hope to see as many Cameroonians as possible at the embassy for the protest.

Nestor Djomatchui, CRM Chair , South Africa washing our dirty linings in public

Cameroon is a democratic country and it is their democratic right to demonstrate. CPDM-SA COM OFFICER , KUM BEZENG Nevertheless we as as CPDM condemn such protests which to us symbolizes washing our dirty linings in public.

The opposition parties like the SDF is in parliament and we think that is the appropriate avenue to channel grievances. The problems at the hospital in Douala were condemned by the CPDM party which also wants health reforms. Remember that we also had elections of the CPDM party here in South Africa and we are not opposed to dual nationality.

The President had said he would address it and we the militants continue to lobby. I just think that we should avoid embarrassing ourselves and our country. KUM BEZENG, CPDM COM, SOUTH AFRICA