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Harare bars critical SADC observers
Jonathan Katzenellenbogen, Business Day (SA)/SAPA
March 09, 2005

http://allafrica.com/stories/200503090198.html

Johannesburg - THE only African observer mission that gave a thumbs down to the March 2002 Zimbabwean presidential election has been barred from observing that country's parliamentary poll at the end of this month.

The Zimbabwean government declined to invite the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Parliamentary Forum, in a move widely seen as silencing potential criticism.

Harare insists that only invited observers will be allowed into the country.

The forum consists of representatives from legislatures in the SADC region.

Zimbabwe's foreign ministry denied it was being vindictive, but failed to give reasons why the forum had not been invited, a ZimOnline article said.

SA's foreign affairs department referred requests for comment to Parliament, but the speaker's office was not available for comment yesterday.

The Democratic Alliance's deputy leader, Joe Seremane, who was to be a forum member along with four other South African MPs, said the move was "petty-minded". "If they have nothing to hide, what's all this fuss about?"

Zimbabwe has invited an official SADC delegation, government-appointed delegations from 12 SADC countries, five Asian countries and three Latin American countries to observe the poll. The African National Congress and ruling parties in Angola, Tanzania, Namibia and Mozambique are also invited. SA's Parliament will send a delegation.

Yesterday the Zimbabwe commissioner of police, Augustine Chihuri, said in Harare that there had been minimal pre-election violence and that more members of the ruling Zanu (PF) had been arrested than those of the main opposition, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

In a further crackdown on nongovernmental organisations, Zimbabwe said it planned to prosecute 30 people for alleged abuse of donor funds that came in response to the 2003 famine, the state-run Herald daily said.

The government, which last month considered deregistering the organisations concerned, has now given them until Friday to show how $88,7m was spent. Allegations were that some of the funds went to the MDC.

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