Civil Society calls on the African National Congress (ANC) To enhance efforts to assist in resolving the political con_ ict in Zimbabwe
The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition calls on African National Congress (ANC) and its allies including the Congress of South African Trade Unions
(COSATU) and the South African Communist Party (SACP) to consolidate efforts to _ nd a lasting solution to the political con_ ict in Zimbabwe. The ANC must insist that political parties in Zimbabwe, particularly ZANU-PF
which controls the country’s security forces, must strictly adhere to principles of
democracy and respect for the basic rights of all Zimbabweans.
The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition is a coalition alliance of civil society groups in Zimbabwe with a common vision for a democratic Zimbabwe in which there is sustainable socio-economic development and a fairer distribution of wealth for
all. The Coalition believes that lasting socio-economic development is founded on
strong, democratic institutions and values of accountability, transparency, rooting
out corruption and a political stability.
The ANC’s strengthening of party to party relations with former liberation movements in the SADC region, including with ZANU-PF, should be the basis for insisting that these movements stand for peace, nonviolence, and sustainable socio-economic development of the people they lead. We hope that ties with former liberation movements present the ANC with an important opportunity to reprimand parties implicated in abuses perpetrated against their people.
We urge the ANC to note that the political crisis in Zimbabwe is effectively part of South Africa’s domestic agenda. It is in South Africa and the southern Africa region’s interest to ensure that the situation in Zimbabwe is resolved before it
leads to regional instability. Already, the crisis in Zimbabwe has driven thousands of
Zimbabwe to South Africa’s doorstep, presenting new challenges to South Africa.
We urge the ANC and its allies to:
1. Call upon the Zimbabwe’s political leadership to fully implement the
Global Political Agreement (GPA) and end the prevailing culture of
violence, corruption, and impunity;
2. Closely monitor current constitutional reform processes in Zimbabwe to
ensure that a new, democratic constitution is in place before Zimbabwe
holds fresh elections;
3. Urge SADC to supervise Zimbabwe’s next elections for full compliance
with regional guidelines for free and fair elections;
4. Urge SADC to deploy peace-keeping monitors at least 4 months ahead
of elections and 2 months after elections to maintain peace and prevent
violence and intimidation;
5. Facilitate technical support to the newly established Zimbabwe Electoral
Commission by SADC Elections Commissions Forum and ensure
impartiality, greater ef_ ciency and capacity to deliver a free and fair poll.
South Africa remains a country from which Zimbabwe can learn a lot, especially in
the area of strengthening democratic institutions such as electoral commissions
and the judiciary. The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, therefore, hopes that the ANC
will export best practices in the rebuilding and transformation of political and social
relations in Zimbabwe for better.
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