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Position paper on the mediation initiative by SADC
Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA)
May 30, 2007

CHRA is committed to a non-violent resolution of the crisis in Zimbabwe. The current wave of violence in Zimbabwe is counter-productive and will merely serve to entrench hardened positions while diminishing the possibilities for a relatively peaceful resolution of the crisis. We must avoid a spiralling descent into violence. We believe that the culpability for the violence lies with the Mugabe regime which has exhibited clear signs that it regards violence as a legitimate tool. We condemn the violence allegedly perpetrated by elements of the MDC but recognize that such violence is a secondary response to the primary violence of the regime.

We therefore welcome any initiatives that will contribute to a resolution of our current crisis. However we will analyse mediation efforts and decide whether or not these are genuine or if they can in fact succeed.

The Nature of the Crisis

We believe that the crisis is essentially one of governance, arising from the colonial nature of the Zimbabwean State which reflects a commandist and centralist bias that promotes hierarchical unaccountable leadership at the expense of participatory democracy based on the active and free participation of citizens. We therefore hold that only a structural approach to our governance crisis can begin to address the fundamental causes of our current predicament.

We subscribe to the so-called 'Yellow Paper' which details civic society's broad position but we reject the bias towards the MDC which is no longer a 'movement' but a political party representing specific interests and policies. We do not believe that political parties should enjoy a monopoly of the dialogue process as they represent only limited constituencies and have their own agendas and dynamics. We will reject any attempt to reach an elite accommodation that co-opts compromist elements from the two main political parties into a government of national unity.

CHRA believes that the current mediation efforts are unlikely to succeed for a number of reasons;

1. The Mugabe regime has clearly indicated that it is not willing to engage in genuine dialogue with its opponents. It continues to repress the broad opposition with brutal physical assaults and detentions. It continues to denigrate its opponents and seeks to delegitimise their rights as citizens of Zimbabwe to engage in the political discourse. Any genuine mediation effort must include Mugabe, not merely his minions whose commitments are worthless.

2. The current mediation effort ignores the great variety of Zimbabwean voices and seeks to reduce dialogue to a simplistic dichotomy between two political parties.

3. We do not regard President Mbeki as an 'honest broker' and see the South African government and the ruling ANC as active supporters of the Mugabe regime. We therefore seek a truly non-partisan mediator acceptable to all parties.

Nonetheless the alternative to dialogue, however flawed, is yet more conflict and violence between Zimbabweans. We therefore commit ourselves to engagement, albeit with a full understanding of the flaws of the process.

There can be no participation unless two fundamental pre-conditions are met:

Pre-conditions for participation

• The immediate suspension of repression by the regime, including the repealing of oppressive legislation and the release of political prisoners.
• Full civic rights to be restored to all Zimbabweans irrespective of race, ethnicity, gender, ideology or domicile.

Goals

1. A broad consultative process within Zimbabwe and the Diaspora to gather the opinions of our citizens culminating in

2. an All-Stakeholders Conference [ASC] chaired by an eminent foreigner.

3. The creation of a National Transitional Authority [NTA]

• Headed by a 'non-political' appointee
• Members to be selected by the ASC drawn on a sectoral basis from all sectors of society
• Limited mandate and lifespan to oversee the 'normalisation' of society, including

  -- the demilitarisation of the civil service
  -- the de-politicisation of the security forces
  -- the repeal of all repressive legislation
  -- addressing the humanitarian needs of Zimbabweans

• To hold non-constituency-based elections to:

4. A Constitutional Assembly that will draft a new constitution that will be subjected to

5. A Referendum to adopt or reject the constitution.

6. Elections to a National Assembly as determined by the Constitution

• All elections to be conducted and supervised by international agencies

7. A Justice Commission to examine all grievances of the Zimbabwean people with full powers to prosecute crimes against humanity, unlimited by any time period or previous amnesties, and with power to provide compensation or other redress to aggrieved Zimbabweans.

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