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Zimbabwe Hijacks SADC - Response to the SADC Communique
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition
April 09, 2003

Read the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation's Communique
Read the Extended Response to the SADC Communiqué by Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation issued a Communiqué following their meeting in Harare, Zimbabwe, on 3 April 2003.

This Communiqué identifies the land issue as at the core of the current Zimbabwe crisis, and discusses the questions of farm workers, media restrictions, and non-violent demonstrations as peripheral issues further affecting Zimbabwe. Finally, the communiqué labels as a "selective diversion" attempts to focus any discussion on governance and human rights issues.

This Communiqué demonstrates a painful failure of SADC Heads of State to grasp issues essential to the Zimbabwean people. All Zimbabweans believe in the principle of a transparent and equitable land redistribution programme. In this land reform exercise, however, there should be no bargaining with human rights and the rule of law. These issues must be addressed together, through an organised and through agrarian reform programme. Instead, the manner in which Zimbabwe's land reform exercise has been carried out has resulted in wide spread food shortages, growing famine, and has contributed to an economic crisis that threatens not only Zimbabwe but the region. In spite of this, the Government of Zimbabwe has managed to generate a highly politicised debate around the land question. This debate obfuscates legitimate concerns surrounding violence and human rights abuses, and distracts attention of the international community, and Southern Africa in particular, from the poor governance record of Zanu PF.

The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition urges South Africans, and others in the region, to look beyond the ruling party propaganda. Human rights and good governance are not "distractions;" they are essential to the concerns of all Zimbabweans. A well heeded two-day stay-away, and by-election victories by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) last month have been met by a wave of violence and repression. Over 600 pro-democracy activists, including civic leaders, councillors and opposition Members of Parliament have been arrested in the past two weeks under spurious charges. Over 800 people, primarily activists, but also their neighbours, colleagues, husbands, wives and children have been beaten, tortured, raped assaulted and victimised over the past two weeks for involvement-or perceived involvement-with the democratic struggle.

A SADC task force which was to come to Zimbabwe this week to investigate the situation here and to consult with key stakeholders has not yet arrived. Reports indicate that the entire Task Force process may be hijacked by the Government of Zimbabwe, which seeks to set the agenda, determine the itinerary and identify the "stake holders" to be consulted, if and when the task force arrives.

The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition is stunned by the capacity of thirteen capable governments to be so completely hoodwinked by one country's President. It urges the governments of SADC and concerned citizens across the region to go beyond the propaganda put forth by the ruling party in Zimbabwe, and develop their own understanding of the severity of the Zimbabwe situation by listening to and engaging with voices from all corners of Zimbabwe.

Crisis in Zimbabwe is a grouping of civil society organisations and coalitions whose vision is a democratic Zimbabwe. The Coalition's mandate is to address the twin questions of governance and legitimacy.

Visit the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition fact sheet

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