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Zimbabwe - Swaziland peace and democracy call to action statement
Crisis
in Zimbabwe Coalition
April 18, 2011
As Zimbabwe
marks 31 years of independence from colonial rule, we gather today
in exile, not to celebrate, but to demand an immediate end to violence
mainly perpetrated by those who liberated the country. Clearly,
it is not yet Uhuru. Today we demand peace, democracy and elections
that are without violence or intimidation in southern Africa. We
stand in solidarity with the oppressed and fighting people of Swaziland
who today demand and cry for the freedom, democracy and good governance
that has been denied them by Africa's last absolute monarch.
Zimbabwe and
Swaziland civil society groups together with South African social
movements will on Wednesday, 20 April hold a Peace and Democracy
Rally at Thokoza Park, Rockville in Soweto from 11am to 3pm to demand
peace and democracy in the entire Southern Africa region. We demand
that SADC takes urgent note of the desires and aspirations of its
peoples and takes vital steps to demonstrate its total commitment
to good governance, rule of law and human rights respect in the
region. For instance, SADC must suspend any member state that willfully
violates SADC principles and standards on elections, democracy or
violates the basic rights of its citizens.
We strongly
urge SADC to ensure that its Troika
Resolutions on Zimbabwe taken on 31 March in Livingstone, Zambia,
are fully and timeously implemented. We are closely monitoring Zimbabwe's
political leadership, particularly those in ZANU-PF who, de facto,
wield significantly more political power, to ensure that they fully
implement SADC Troika resolutions including immediately ending all
forms of violence and intimidation, hate speech, harassment and
other violations of the letter and spirit of the Global
Political Agreement. Zimbabwe political leaders must urgently
institute critical reforms to create an environment conducive to
holding of free and fair elections supervised by SADC and where
violence and intimidation play no part.
As Zimbabwe
civil society groups in South Africa, we register unfettered support
and endorsement of the democratic struggle that the people of Swaziland
are engaged in and we wish to strongly urge our Swazi brothers and
sisters to remain focused and committed to the struggle until victory
is achieved. This is the same struggle we are fighting in Zimbabwe,
and our common vision is of a democratic, peaceful and socio-economically
developed Southern Africa.
We, the peoples
of Southern Africa, are one people, with the same aspirations, joys,
desires and hopes for peace, security and development. We must all
continue to stand together, shoulder to shoulder in the fight for
a just cause; we shall remain in the trenches until all citizens
of Southern Africa are truly politically emancipated and economically
empowered.
We wish to categorically
warn African governments, in particular those of Swaziland and Zimbabwe,
to note that if citizens are continually subjected to the subversion
of their will, they may end up resorting to popular uprisings in
the nature of what has been witnessed recently in North Africa with
the direct effect of destabilizing the region and reversing any
gains made.
All SADC leaders
must ensure, protect and promote the fundamental rights of their
peoples fully respecting the principles and standards they have
signed to in terms of various SADC protocols, in particular those
regarding the holding of free and fair elections as well as guaranteeing
effective citizen participation in government and free political
activity.
For more information
please contact:
Visit the Crisis
in Zimbabwe fact
sheet
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