I’ve embarked on a two-stage journey across western Zimbabwe with my horse, then west along Namibia’s unique Caprivi Strip with a feisty mule, southwest following the meandering Omatako River, and then south to Windhoek, the capital of Namibia.

My challenging journey across Zimbabwe, unsupported, was about 800km (500 miles) and the Namibian section is more than 1,300km (808 miles) where I’ll face forbidding, semi-arid areas where few people live.

My objective is to call for justice for the ordinary citizens of southern Africa who no longer have access to a regional court of justice when the courts in their own countries have failed them. This is especially crucial for Zimbabwean citizens who face dispossession, arrest on trumped-up charges, abduction and torture at the hands of the state, as well as stolen elections.

Prior to 2012, we had a proud court of justice, the SADC Tribunal, which was set up in Windhoek by the Southern African Development Community (SADC)’s Heads of State and promoted as a “beacon of hope” for the region. Ten highly respected judges from Member States were appointed.

The SADC Tribunal was closed down in 2012 at the instigation of Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe, who faced an increasing litany of court cases against his government, and the judges were unilaterally dismissed.

In Windhoek I’ll meet up with legal colleagues and the press at the former SADC Tribunal court building where we’ll call for the reinstatement of the SADC Tribunal, the reappointment of SADC Tribunal judges and the restoration of access to justice for all citizens of the 16 countries in the region.

Your support will help us in our quest to restore justice and human rights and to hold autocratic governments accountable for their actions.

So far I’ve connected with some very interesting people. On one occasion, a man stopped me and asked me what I was doing. I explained and said that I was praying as I walked. So he asked me to pray for him! This has happened already many times on my journey.

Join me in my “Long Ride for Justice”, I’ll keep you updated!