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Crackdown threatens democratic renewal in Zimbabwe
Rights & Democracy and Zimbabwe Exiles Forum (ZEF)
April 03, 2008

Rights & Democracy and the Zimbabwe Exiles Forum strongly condemn the crackdown on foreign media and opponents of President Robert Mugabe by Zimbabwe's security forces.

Reports coming from Harare indicate that riot police have surrounded a hotel housing mainly foreign media and that some journalists have been detained. Rights & Democracy and ZEF also have information that the offices of the main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change, have been ransacked by the members of the Central Intelligence Organization as well as the police.

Rights & Democracy and ZEF are deeply concerned that these are the first steps in President Robert Mugabe's response to the results of Saturday's vote. The Movement for Democratic Change, President Mugabe's chief opposition, has already been declared the winner in Parliamentary elections. The government-appointed Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has delayed releasing the results of the Presidential vote, which independent observers say had President Mugabe poised to finish second to Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the MDC. This afternoon, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is reported to have announced that the results of the Senate vote will be delayed "indefinitely," an ominous sign that the Mugabe regime does not intend to respect the outcome of the election.

"The international community has to take immediate steps to prevent President Mugabe from subverting the will of Zimbabwe's electorate and from resorting to further repression and violence," said Jean Paul Hubert, Interim President of Rights & Democracy.

South Africa and its fellow members of the Southern African Development Committee (SADC) cannot afford to stand by in silence should Mugabe use force to maintain his rule. SADC and the international community, including the United Nations Security Council, must condemn this crackdown and take all necessary measures to prevent the Mugabe regime from further violating the rights of the people of Zimbabwe.

"Violence in Zimbabwe could spill-over into the rest of the region and it is imperative that the states of Southern Africa take immediate steps to ensure this crisis is peacefully resolved," said Gabriel Shumba, Executive Director of the South Africa-based Zimbabwe Exiles Forum. "The international community has a responsibility to the people of Zimbabwe to ensure that their democratic will is respected."

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