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Zimbabwe civil society demands to the SADC Summit
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition
August 16, 2012

The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition would like to bring the following to the attention of the SADC Summit scheduled for 17 and 18 August 2012 at the Joachim Chissano International Conference Centre, Maputo, Mozambique:

1. We are concerned at the slow progress on constitutional reform and fear that Zimbabwe may be forced to go for national elections under the old order and under conditions of widespread violence experienced in 2008. We appeal to SADC to press the inclusive government to bring to closure the constitution-making process through the holding of a second all-stakeholders conference, parliamentary debate and a national referendum.

2. Zimbabwe faces a possible referendum and by-elections in the next three months. We recommend that SADC leaders send observers and monitors to superintend the referendum and the by-elections, in the event that they are held as per the Supreme Court ruling of 16 July 2012.

3. We demand that SADC appointed representatives to work with the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (JOMIC) should be urgently deployed to Zimbabwe to monitor the Global Political Agreement (GPA) and that president Zuma's Facilitation Team should frequently travel to Zimbabwe to closely monitor and encourage progress towards transparent, free and fair elections.

4. We urge SADC to intensify efforts to ensure that Zimbabwe adequately prepares for credible elections that are free from both physical and psychological violence and one where the electoral management body, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) is independent, non-partisan and professional. The electoral process must allow for peaceful transfer of power.

5. It is our firm position that the 'praetorian problem' persists, that is, the militarisation of both the state and society. This poses a real risk toward the stagnation or reversal of all transitional and democratisation efforts made by SADC. We therefore urge SADC leaders to insist on the democratization and professionalization of the security establishment so that it can prioritize the security of the person rather than of the regime; the state removing the military out of society and confine them to the barracks; and security chiefs renouncing and denouncing their partisan statements which emphasized that they will not respect a leader elected by Zimbabweans in a free and fair election.

6. For the legislative reform agenda we recommend that the Public Order and Security Act (POSA), the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), the Broadcasting Services Act, the Presidential Powers Temporary Measures Act and the Criminal Codification and Reform Act, among other repressive laws, be expeditiously repealed or amended.

7. One of Zimbabwe's major socio-economic challenges is that financial proceeds from diamond fields are not reaching the national fiscus. We believe democracy is inconceivable without sustainable economic development that impacts on the livelihoods of ordinary people. We therefore call for sound, transparent and accountable corporate governance so that the natural resources can benefit the ordinary people.

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