A regional grouping of southern African countries is to send a task force to Zimbabwe next week to look into claims of state-sponsored violence by the opposition, an official said on Thursday.
Speaking at the end of a one-day meeting of Southern African Development Community (SADC) ministers in Harare, Mozambican Foreign Minister Leonardo Simao told reporters that the allegations of violence had not been discussed.
”This (claims of a government crackdown) will be taken up by the task force where all different stakeholders will be invited to voice their opinions about the current situation of the country,” Simao said.
But he added that ministers were worried about a lack of harmony in Zimbabwe, where recent by-elections were marred by violence and intimidation, according to the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
”We are worried because you Zimbabweans don’t live in peace and harmony,” said Simao, who chairs SADC’s committee on politics, defence and security.
”It’s our obligation to help you overcome the difficulties you are faced with, which are impeding you to live in peace and harmony.” Earlier the MDC had urged the ministers to condemn alleged human rights abuses against the opposition by the government.
The opposition says hundreds of its supporters have been either arrested or assaulted by state agents following a widely heeded job stayaway last month.
But the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) says that MDC supporters unleashed ”an orgy of violence” during the strike.
SADC ministers were taken on Wednesday to visit the offices of the ruling party in the northern town of Chinhoyi that were firebombed during the strike.
Simao refused to blame either the ruling party or the opposition.
”I’m not pointing fingers,” he said. ”You Zimbabweans please learn how to live together.” The Mozambican minister said that the task force would meet with ”farmers’ unions, different church leaders, political parties and others.” The task force on Zimbabwe was set up two years ago in Malawi by the 14-member body.
Zimbabwe plunged into controversy three years ago when it launched a land reform programme that has seen the seizure of most white-owned farms.
The southern African ministers’ visit came just days after the arrest earlier this week of MDC Vice President Gibson Sibanda, who faces charges of trying to oust Mugabe by inciting people to join an anti-government strike last month.
The opposition views the arrest as the start of a widespread crackdown by the state on opposition leaders.
Sibanda was arrested on Monday and his lawyers have been trying to secure his release on bail. A magistrate on Thursday failed to deliver a ruling on the bail application, deferring judgement to next week. – Sapa-AFP