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Zimbabwe Briefing Issue 31
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition
June 22, 2011

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BOCISCOZ calls for Khama to ensure "enforceable roadmap" on Zimbabwe

The Botswana Civil Society Solidarity Coalition for Zimbabwe (BOCISCOZ) has come out in support of calls by the people of Zimbabwe for "an enforceable road map to the holding of elections 2011". In a petition directed to His Excellency President Lieutenant-General Seretse Khama Ian Khama and dated, 9 June, 2011 and signed by representatives from the Botswana Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (BOCONGO), the Botswana Council of Churches (BCC), DITSHWANELO - the Botswana Centre for Human Rights, the Media Institute of South Africa (MISA-Botswana) and the Botswana Secondary Teachers' Trade Union (BOSETU), the coalition notes "serious points of concern" given recent developments around attempts at bringing order to Zimbabwe.

"The arbitrary arrests of civil society activists and those suspected of supporting or being members of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC); the militarisation of civilian institutions which govern elections, party politicisation of the security sector; an unreliable and flawed voters' roll, 23% of which contains the names of deceased persons and 2.5 million persons who do not exist; the disempowering and effective suspension of SADC Tribunal and the risk of limiting access of the individual southern African citizens to it, all are serious points of concern," reads the statement. The Coalition further lays out key action points that Khama, through the government of Botswana must act upon.

One, the coalition would like to see constitutional and electoral reforms before elections are held and also to see strict compliance with the SADC Principles and Guidelines on Elections. Two, the government of Botswana is being called to "recognise that during the 2008 elections, the politically motivated violence occurred before the arrival and after the departure of the election observer missions. There is a need for observers to be in situ at least three (3) months before the elections and to remain in the country for at least one (1) month after the holding of elections".

Three, the coalition supports the establishment of an independent Electoral Commission which will only be reporting directly to Parliament. The issue of this body is one of the most outstanding issues in the Global Political Agreement (GPA).

Four, President Khama is to lobby for the return of the SADC Tribunal. Specifically, he is to review and change its support of the position that the SADC Tribunal be inaccessible to individuals within the SADC region [because] limiting access to intra-state matters serves to weaken the rule of law within [the region]."

The fifth call is for "SADC to encourage the government of Zimbabwe to protect the people and safeguard the development of the region against instability arising from the breakdown of law and order in accordance with the SADC Protocol on Politics, Defense and Security Cooperation 2001, article 2 (a). Lastly, the coalition encourages the "creation of true and effective reconciliation and healing within Zimbabwe".

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