Harare — Amid a mounting political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe, pro-democracy activists and opposition leaders have dismissed prospects of rescue coming from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and African Union (AU).
In 2008, SADC helped to broker a government of national unity in Zimbabwe between then-President Robert Mugabe and his erstwhile political nemesis, late Morgan Tsvangirai of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change Party.
Although the MDC back then argued that it had won the 2008 elections, the opposition played out a junior role in Zimbabwe’s rather tense unity government.
Amid reports of rampant human rights abuses in Zimbabwe, South Africa which currently chairs SADC, recently sent an envoy to engage the leaders of the Zimbabwean government.
But, even as this did not irritate some members of the ruling Zimbabwe Africa National Union-Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF), other pro-democracy activists and opposition leaders have cast doubt on whether or not SADC would help end the political acrimony bedeviling this country.
Taurai Kandishaya, who is National Coordinator of the Zimbabwe Citizens Forum, a civil society organization closely related to the governing Zanu-PF, said ‘AU and SADC never said the government of Zimbabwe should stop rights abuses, but they only encouraged the government to continue respecting human rights.’
On South Africa dispatching a special envoy to Zimbabwe following reports of acute human rights abuses, Kandishaya said ‘the special envoys are expected to engage the government of Zimbabwe and relevant stakeholders to identify possible ways in which South Africa can assist Zimbabwe.’
Yet, even as Zanu-PF diehard supporters like Kandishaya try hard to cover up for their party, South Africa which is also the economic superpower of Southern Africa, through the country’s governing Africa National Congress (ANC), acknowledged Zimbabwe is riddled with political challenges.
Lindiwe Zulu who is one of the leaders of the ANC in South Africa went on record in the media claiming that there is a political crisis in Zimbabwe. Ms. Zulu is also South Africa’s Minister of Social Development.
In a statement released on August 4, AU encouraged the government of Zimbabwe to uphold the rule of law ‘allowing for freedom of the media, freedom of assembly, freedom of association and the right to information.’
Even as AU said ‘violations of these rights are a breach of the African Charter on human and people’s rights,’ Zimbabwe’s opposition leaders have called for more action from the regional body to extinguish the political flames in the country.
“We continue to urge the AU to not only end issuance of statements, but to act decisively and save Zimbabwean lives,” Obey Sithole, MDC Alliance National Youth Chairperson told Ubuntu Times.
On SADC, Sithole said ‘their history of intervention doesn’t paint a good picture and that provides a justifiable reason for people to doubt their ability to resolve the crisis in Zimbabwe.’
Lashing out at AU and SADC, Owen Dhliwayo a Zimbabwean pro-democracy activist said ‘these are mere regional bodies making rather regional pronouncements that have no consequence on the member state.’
Referring to SADC and AU, Wurayai Zembe, leader of the opposition Democratic Party in Zimbabwe, said ‘the regional and continental bodies have not been effective when dealing with Zimbabwe’s electoral problems.’
“The two bodies have been clubs of friends of nationalists who fought for independence from colonialism, some through armed struggles. So, member countries have not criticized one another on matters of poor governance,” Zembe told Ubuntu Times.
Even civil society activist, Claris Madhuku, who heads the Platform for Youth Development, concurred with Zembe.
“AU is run on the basis of comradeship and brotherhood of sitting heads of states. This does not make it easy for this club to seriously chastise a member who has strayed. Zimbabwean problems are complex and will not be solved by these regional blocks,” Madhuku told Ubuntu Times.
Of late, police in Zimbabwe arrested and jailed journalist Hopewell Chin’ono who had become vocal in exposing high profile corruption scandals in Zimbabwe.
They (police) also arrested and incarcerated opposition leader Jacob Ngarivhume on charges of inciting public violence after he coordinated a social media drive calling for the Jul.31 anti-government protests against corruption.