Letter to SADC and African Heads of State and Government
We represent the many people within SADC increasingly alarmed atunfolding events in Zimbabwe. We issue this open letter to allcitizens of this region, and in particular to our heads of state andgovernment, members of parliament in the respective countries andsenior leaders with the SADC and African Union Secretariats, askingthem to take urgent action to ensure that the Zimbabwean people, whoon the 29 March 2008 exercised their right to vote, now have theresults of that vote recognised and respected.The continued failure on the part of the Zimbabwean ElectoralCommission (ZEC) to disclose the results of the election, without anyreasonable explanation for such delay, warrants the strongest censure.This inexplicable delay at so critical a time has heightened tensionswithin Zimbabwe, inviting suspicion that electoral outcomes will bemanipulated and that the Zimbabwean peoples' peacefully registeredpolitical preferences will be contemptuously discounted.Already, those who cast their votes in an attempt to authenticallyregister their political preferences have faced serious obstacle. Theelections themselves were characterised by a denial of equal access tostate-controlled media; widespread voter roll irregularity; the use ofstate resources in a manner calculated to influence the outcome of theelections, such as the stationing of police officers in pollingbooths; an absence of independent civic and voter education in therun-up to the elections; and an undermining of the role of electoralobservers through inadequate access and accreditation.We are, however, further concerned that the safety and security ofZimbabweans, not only their vote, is under threat. The increasedpresence of security forces throughout the country, intensifiedactivities on the part of associated quasi-military groups, such asthe War Veterans Association, and the recent arrests of journalistsand others associated with civil society, at best indicate an attemptto intimidate Zimbabwe's citizenry, at worst warn of incipientviolence.SADC leadership, in its mediation efforts in respect of Zimbabwe, haverepeatedly emphasised the centrality of free and fair elections to theresolution of Zimbabwe's difficulties. Regional leaders have again andagain called on the Zimbabwean people to solve the crisis forthemselves. Those who cast their ballots on 29 March 2008 sought tobring to fruition both these calls.That our regional respective heads of state and government now remainsilent, in the face of increasingly obvious and sustained attempts tosubvert the results of those elections, fails not only the Zimbabweanpeople, but also the continental and regional institutions andinitiatives in which our respective countries have so heavilyinvested.We therefore now call upon heads of state and government in SADC toensure the following:1) The immediate release of all outstanding Zimbabwean electoral results.2) The adherence to and respect for those electoral results.3) The immediate cessation of all acts of political violence andintimidation.Furthermore, we strongly urge that African governments use bilateraland multilateral means such as SADC, the AU and the UN to urgentlyappoint and dispatch a high-level team of eminent persons to:Examine and report on reasons for the delay in announcing the resultsof the 29 March elections and other irregularities, and to provide aframework for restoring confidence in the vote.In the event of a run-off in the presidential elections, we call forregional and continental intervention to ensure:1) That the run-off is conducted within the framework of Zimbabwe'selectoral laws, specifically that:a) That the run-off be held within 21 days of the first election;b) That the counting of the ballots take place at polling stations(rather than at a central location which provides room formanipulation and electoral fraud);c) That the results of the count be posted at all polling stations, aswas the case in these primary elections.2) That a mechanism be put in place whereby delays and technicalchallenges encountered by the ZEC are given public explanation toavoid a repeat of the current situation;3) The presence of electoral observer missions afforded necessaryaccess and accreditation.Signed:Allison DeFoor, Personal Capacity, (USA)Ann Njogu, The Centre for Rights, Education and Awareness, (CREAW)Barbara van Koppen, International Water Management Institute SouthernAfrica Regional Program, (South Africa)Chi Mgbako, Walter Leitner International Human Rights Clinic New York, (USA)Christine Stegling, Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV/AIDS, (Botswana)Corlett Letlojane, HURISA, (South Africa)David Unterhalter, (South Africa)Diana Messerschmidt, (South Africa)Don Deya, The East Africa Law SocietyDr Phillip Tahmindjis, International Bar Association, (UK)Ebrahim Fakir, Personal CapacityElizabeth Cotton, Personal Capacity, (UK)Esmè Joaquim, SAL & CADEIRAEvelina Nagapame Tomas, LorentzAngula Incorporated Attorneys,Notaries & Conveyancers, (Namibia)Firoze Manji, Pambazuka NewsFleur Norton, Southern Africa Litigation Centre, (South Africa)Florence Snyder Rivas, Personal Capacity, (USA)James Norton, Personal Capacity, (South Africa)Jean Richter, Personal CapacityJohn Dugard, Personal CapacityJosé Manuel Caldeira, SAL & CADEIRAKatharine Bamberger, Personal Capacity, (USA)Clinton Bamberger, Personal Capacity, (USA)Kathy Eales, Personal Capacity, (South Africa)Keith Baker, Croft Baker & Co, (UK)L. Muthoni Wanyeki, Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), (Kenya)Lauren Richer, Personal CapacityLiela Groenewald, Personal CapacityLiesl Gerntholtz, Personal CapacityLieze Kotze, Personal CapacityLouise Colvin, Personal CapacityLouise Olivier, Personal CapacityMarika Muller, Personal CapacityMichaela Clayton, AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern AfricaMoleshiwe Magana, Legal Resource CenterNat Stern, Florida State University, (USA)Natalie Brown, Association for Progressive CommunicationsNicolas Burniat, Crimes Against Humanity ProgramNicole Fritz, Southern Africa Litigation Centre, (South Africa)Norman Tjombe, Legal Assistance Centre, (Namibia)Nusrat Chagtai, Personal CapacityOtto Saki, Personal Capacity, (Zimbabwe)Patrick Bond, University of KwaZulu-Natal Centre for Civil Society,(South Africa)Patti McDonald, Personal CapacityPouline Kimani Gay and lesbian coalition of Kenya, (Kenya)Professor Cathi Albertyn, School of law, Wits University, (South Africa)Rietsie Badenhorst, Personal CapacityRomao Xavier, Oxfam, (USA)Ruth Muller, Personal Capacity, (South Africa)Sarah Man, Personal CapacitySusan Wambui Mbugua, Personal CapacityTalbot "Sandy" D'Alemberte, Florida State University, (USA)Thenjiwe Sibanda, Personal CapacityThomas Man, Personal CapacityVasantha Mahalingham, Personal Capacity, (South Africa)Yasmin Carrim,, Personal CapacityZahid Rajan, Kenyans for Peace with Truth and Justice, (Kenya)Abdul Carimo Mahomed Issa(Mozambique)Luis Nhachote, Senior Journalist (Mozambique)Nicole FritzDirectorSouthern Africa Litigation Centre, Manuel de Araujo, MP (Mozambique)
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