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Petition submitted to the Zimbabwean Embassy in South Africa
Zimbabwe Exiles Forum (ZEF)
April 16, 2008

The Executive Secretary, Southern African Development Community, Botswana: Mr Tomaz Augusto Salomão;
The Chair, African Union, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: HE Jakaya Kikwete;
The Chair, United Nations Security Council: Republic of South Africa;
The August House of Parliament, South Africa;
The Pan African Parliament; Honorable Gertrude Mongela
The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights; Honourable Sanji Mmasenono Monageng
The African National Congress President, Mr Jacob Zuma;
Opposition Parties, South Africa;
Faith-based Organisations, Labour and Civil Society Colleagues:

We, the people of Zimbabwe, driven into exile in South Africa are:

Concerned that Zimbabwe faces a deficit of democracy and governance.

Alarmed that the crisis in Zimbabwe is of such magnitude that the country is on the brink of an explosion, which may have drastic consequences for the entire region;

Noting that our compatriots trapped in the country are under a siege of a military nature when ironically we should be celebrating together our independence from colonialism 28 years ago on the 18th of April;

Observing that since the 29th of March when we went to the polls, Presidential election results have not been released;

Cognisant of the fact that since HE President Thabo Mbeki's pronouncement that there is no crisis in our country, many Zimbabweans have lost faith in his ability to remain impartial towards a resolution that buttresses the will of the people of Zimbabwe and is thus compromised;

Acknowledging that the Southern African Development Community with all good wishes intends to assist Zimbabwe out of its man-made catastrophe;

Further acknowledging international support to this end, and the non-partisan support towards a democratic Zimbabwe by among others Amnesty International, International Bar Association and Human Rights Watch:

Hereby:

1. Call upon the present, illegal structure running the country unconstitutionally through the Joint Operations Command to step down;
2. Implore the SADC, AU, UN Security Council and the above institutions to expeditiously come out in defense of the ordinary people of Zimbabwe; and to demand that the results of the Presidential election be released immediately and in the event of a run-off, to demand international supervision of the whole process;
3. Further implore the above-mentioned institutions and organizations to take all practical measures necessary, including those that may be difficult ones, to ensure that human life, dignity and security in general is provided for ordinary people in Zimbabwe;
4. Appeal to members of the security forces and the police to ignore orders that may lead to the torture, murder and other crimes against humanity against their brothers and sisters;
5. Request that HE President Thabo Mbeki gives a public commitment to impartiality in his facilitative role in Zimbabwe, or that he be replaced by an individual whose credibility is not open to question.
6. Lastly, call upon all Zimbabweans at home and abroad to remain resolute in defense of our freedom, and to identify perpetrators of atrocities.

Signed on this 16th day of April 2008 at Tshwane, South Africa.

• Zimbabwe Exiles Forum, Gabriel Shumba, Executive Director, T. +27 72 6393 795
• Zimbabwe Diaspora Forum,
• Zimbabwe Political Victims Association
• Zimbabwe Revolutionary Youth Movement
• Zimbabwe Refugee Association
• Zimbabwe Action Movement
• Zimbabwe Peace and Democracy Project
• Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition
• Solidarity Peace Trust,
• Southern African Institute for Migration Affairs
• Concerned Zimbabweans Abroad
• Friends of Zimbabwe Coalition
• Amnesty International (South Africa), Executive Director, +27 12 320 8155.

Visit the ZEF fact sheet

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