Zuma’s controversial report on Zim
http://www.theindependent.co.zw/
Friday, 17 June 2011 09:26
ON March 31, Sadc facilitator to Zimbabwe’s political crisis, South African
President Jacob Zuma, tabled a damning report to the regional bloc’s organ
on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation at its meeting in Livingstone,
Zambia. The report was condemned by Zanu PF. Below is an edited version of
the report.
“Before the political ruptures of North Africa and the Arab World which
affected Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, Zimbabwe was pretty much a focal point of
the international community.
“The developments in the northern part of our continent should impress upon
all of us in the Sadc region about the need and importance of resolving the
Zimbabwean impasse speedily and in a way that will not just satisfy Sadc,
but be acceptable to the entire world.
“There is a growing impatience in the region and the world about the long
period it is taking us to find a permanent and lasting solution to the
challenges facing Zimbabwe.
“This report covers the Zimbabwe Peace Process and the programme of
facilitation.
“It focuses on matters relating to the Global Political Agreement, as well
as the Facilitator’s engagement with the role players. The report follows up
on the recommendations by the Troika’s Organ on Politics, Defence and
Security Cooperation, to the Sadc Summit in Windhoek on August 15 2010.
“The recommendations were endorsed by the summit. The continued engagement
with the Zimbabwe peace process relies on the declaration of commitment by
the Zimbabwe parties captured as follows in the GPA:
“The parties hereby declare and agree to work together to create a genuine,
viable, permanent, sustainable and nationally acceptable solution to the
Zimbabwe situation and in particular to implement the GPA with the aim of
resolving once and for all the current political and economic situations and
charting a new political direction for the country.
Assessment of the situation
“We have been mediating since the signing of the GPA (in September 2008) and
we have not made much progress. As Sadc, we need to redouble our efforts in
finding a permanent and lasting solution to the challenges facing Zimbabwe.
“There have been moments of hope that a breakthrough would be found but we
have been continuously disappointed by the slow pace and lack of progress in
areas which are critical. We have been disappointed by continuous
backtracking and lack of implementation of resolutions and agreements made.
“It’s time that Sadc speaks with one voice in impressing to all the parties
concerned that this situation can no longer be tolerated. The focus that
Zimbabwean parties have placed on elections without creating the necessary
conducive climate for those elections is an unfortunate sidetrack.
“The fact that Zimbabwean parties are in an electioneering mode, and are
agitating for the holding of elections while they have not done enough
groundwork towards ensuring that the building blocks and institutions are
firmly in place for the holding of free, fair and democratic elections is
counterproductive.
“We must dissuade all parties from thinking that they can hold elections in
the prevailing atmosphere characterised by violence, intimidation and fear.
The holding of elections in this climate will lead Zimbabwe back to the
situation it was in three years ago during its last elections, or even in a
far worse situation. We cannot have elections when the ground has not been
sufficiently prepared.
Further engagements
“In my capacity as Facilitator, and in pursuit of the desire to keep the
parties working closely together in the implementation of the GPA and in the
best interest of Zimbabwe, I arranged a meeting in Harare on November 26,
where I met with the political principals, President Robert Mugabe, Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara.
Among other things I took up with the leaders, was the Sadc decision “to
help Zimbabwe draw up guidelines for a free and fair election”.
There was agreement among us that a roadmap needed to be developed as a
guideline for democratic, free and fair election without violence and
intimidation and where the playing field would be level for all.
Implementation matrix
“I also raised the matter of the Implementation matrix of decisions taken by
the negotiators and endorsed by the political principals, especially those
which could not be resolved.
“As will be recalled, the Sadc Summit endorsed the recommendation of the
Troika that: “The parties should discuss the outstanding matters in keeping
with the decisions of the Maputo Troika Summit and resolve them within one
month as part of a confidence-building measure, based on appropriate
consultation (within the ambit of) Zimbabwe’s law and any other relevant
legal instrument.”
“I will not go into details about what issues have been points of
contention, suffice to say that we are all familiar with those issues as
they were dealt with extensively during the last Sadc and Troika summits.
“But of concern to us is the fact that while there are many agreements
reached by signatories to the GPA, there has been a lack of implementation
even on the issues that had been agreed on, which clearly indicates a lack
of political will to move the process forward by implementing the
agreements.
“While the Media Commission has been established, the biggest challenge is
that the ZBC board has not been appointed nor has the Media Trust been
constituted. Those matters, including the absence of enabling legislation,
restrict the Media Commission in discharging its functions.
The Media Commission is an important instrument in the creation of a level
political field en route to elections, where, among other things, there
should be unbiased and equal access by all stakeholders to print and
broadcast media, with unfettered access and equal rates for advertising, and
where all stakeholders should have a right of reply when subjected to
adverse publicity.
The Human Rights Commission was also established, however, the absence of
enabling legislation is also undermining the effectiveness of the
commission. It also suffers from inadequate resources, human and material,
including funding.
There are also other important commissions that have not been established,
which include the Land Audit Commission and the Anti-Corruption Commission.
The challenges we have highlighted are admitted by the Zimbabweans
themselves as can be seen in the Jomic report, which is attached…
Sanctions:
Suspicion continues to dog the campaign for the lifting of sanctions against
Zimbabwe — a matter that all parties agreed to in principle. A sanctions
removal strategy was agreed to, and party leaders and their parties were
instructed to implement that strategy and publicly call for the removal of
sanctions. That is not happening as regularly and consistently as was
envisaged.
Facilitation:
The Facilitation Task Team has travelled to Zimbabwe meeting party leaders
and their parties, as well as other formations, to get GPA updates and the
implementation matrix, and to pursue the development of a roadmap. The team
visited Zimbabwe on January 17-18; February 7; February 22-24 and March
15-16.
The first engagement was with the political principals and was at a time
polarisation was creeping in. The full implementation of the negotiated
positions as encapsulated in the implementation matrix, including
outstanding matters, was raised with the leaders. Also raised was the
construction of a roadmap towards free and fair elections.
The interaction included sessions with the ZEC, Copac, Zimbabwe Election
Support Network and the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.
Those organisations were met as part of preparations for the development of
the roadmap given that human rights speak to the ability by all concerned to
participate in all activities of their country without any fear of
intimidation and physical injury.
Way forward
The Zimbabwe negotiators met on March 21 2011 and agreed to the following:
That they will meet on April 1 and draft the Review Mechanism Report and the
roadmap for harmonised elections.
The negotiators will meet later at a workshop with the Facilitation Team in
order to agree on a common understanding and resolve outstanding matters.
The workshop agenda will include the Review Mechanism report, Jomic report
and the proposed roadmap.
Review Mechanism:
The Review Mechanism was created by the GPA to establish peace, security and
stability in Zimbabwe. Article 23.2 of the GPA says: “The Parties will
continually review the effectiveness and any other matter relating to the
functioning of the Inclusive government established by the constitution in
consultation with the guarantors.”
Free and Fair Election:
The Sadc Summit endorsed the Troika views on regarding elections that would
be free and fair on the basis of the following Troika submissions:
“The suggestion (of a Roadmap) is designed to ensure a sustained focus on
developments in Zimbabwe towards the elections, the monitoring of the
situation and timely interventions to deal with problems if and when they
arise.
“Leading to the elections, the Inclusive government should be united in its
efforts to ensure everything is ready for the elections.
“The constitution-making exercise, as well as the referendum on that
constitution, should be a joint task of all the parties in the Inclusive
government.
It is important that the Troika recalls its report to the Sadc Summit
because, flowing from it are clear instructions on how to assist restore
peace, security, justice and stability to Zimbabwe.
Recommendations
1. The Troika should call upon all GPA partners to implement all decisions
made, in particular the full implementation of the matrix, and the creation
of an environment conducive to peace, security and free political activity
for all, and the elimination of hate speech.
2. The Troika should call on the inclusive government to complete all steps
necessary to finalise the constitution-making process, including a
referendum on the draft, and the drafting and endorsement by all
stakeholders of the roadmap with the assistance of Sadc through the
facilitator.
3. The Troika and Sadc must help Zimbabwe formulate guidelines to assist in
holding an election that will be peaceful, free and fair and where the
political field will be level, in accordance with the Sadc Principles and
Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections.
4. Given that Sadc is a key guarantor of the GPA, the Troika should
recommend that Sadc appoint a team to work with the facilitation team in
order to engage directly and dynamically with JOMIC for purposes of
monitoring and ensuring the implementation of all matters that flow from the
GPA, including the full implementation of the matrix.