The upcoming Zimbabwean elections should be postponed, a leader of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) said at a picket outside the Zimbabwe embassy in Pretoria on Wednesday.
”The elections in Zimbabwe will not be free and fair under the current legislation,” Cosatu deputy president Joe Nkosi said.
Asked to give the Zimbabwean government a mark out of 10 for its progress towards achieving democratic elections, Nkosi gave it a zero.
”They do not even qualify for a mark. There is duplication of names on the voters’ roll. The political climate is not right for free and fair elections,” Nkosi said.
He said Cosatu wants the Zimbabwean people to be liberated from oppression just as their South African counterparts are.
”The playing field before the elections still favours Zanu-PF, as workers and political parties are unable to assemble in groups of more than four,” Nkosi said.
About 100 protesters picketed outside the embassy to protest human rights abuses.
They also demanded that a fact-finding mission be allowed to go to the country to investigate whether free and fair elections could take place.
Cosatu plans to continue picketing the embassy in the run-up to the March 31 elections, spokesman Patrick Craven said earlier in the day.
The protests will culminate in a vigil at Beit Bridge on the South African-Zimbabwe border on the night before Zimbabweans go to the polls.
SA ambassador not advised of appeal
Meanwhile, South Africa’s ambassador to Zimbabwe, Jerry Ndou, has not been advised yet of the appeal of Zimbabwe’s attorney general against the early release of 62 suspected mercenaries, the South African Department of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday.
Zimbabwe’s top prosecutor, Sobuza Gula-Ndebele, filed the appeal against the early release of the men for good behaviour following the Zimbabwean High Court’s decision last week to reduce their sentences with four months, meaning that they could be released immediately.
He has asked his country’s Supreme Court to overturn the high court decision.
”The foreign ministry has noted the intended appeal by the Zimbabwean attorney general to appeal the decision to reduce the sentences of the alleged mercenaries held in Zimbabwe,” said departmental spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa.
He said: ”Our ambassador to Zimbabwe, Jerry Ndou, has not been advised officially of this development.
”Nonetheless, should the matter proceed to court, our embassy will maintain a watching brief over the legal process and outcome thereof,” said Mamoepa.
Earlier on Wednesday, Ayanda Ntsaluba, South Africa’s Director General of Foreign Affairs, said Zimbabwe should urgently decide whether to release the men.
”We were told that they were returning home — that would be OK with South Africa but the [Zimbabwean] attorney general is countering that. Our only hope is that the situation is resolved speedily,” said Ntsaluba at a breakfast meeting in Cape Town.
He said speed is essential to prevent as much pain and confusion for the families as possible.
The men’s lawyer, Alwyn Griebenow, told the media on Wednesday the news is distressing.
”We were caught by surprise. At five this morning, I heard about it for the first time. Obviously we cannot understand why they didn’t come up with this earlier and I’m of the opinion they’re just playing for time.”
Gula-Ndebele has argued that the early release of prisoners only applies to Zimbabwean citizens, not to foreigners.
The men were to have been released on either Monday or Tuesday. — Sapa