[Peace-discuss] Fwd: Zimbabwe: Civil Society Voices

Tue Dec 9 23:39:40 CST 2003

>Date: Sun, 7 Dec 2003 13:55:40 -0600
>To: akagan at uiuc.edu
>Subject: Zimbabwe: Civil Society Voices
>From: africafocus at igc.org
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>Zimbabwe: Civil Society Voices
>
>AfricaFocus Bulletin
>Dec 7, 2003 (031207)
>(Reposted from sources cited below)
>
>Editor's Note
>
>A six-nation panel including Australia, Canada, India, Jamaica,
>Mozambique, and South Africa today recommended continued suspension
>of Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth, until the government of Zimbabwe
>meets minimum conditions indicating willingness to dialogue with
>internal opponents. News coverage has focused on 
>the divergent views of governments, particularly 
>the reluctance of some African states to 
>maintain the suspension of Zimbabwe. The 
>simplistic image of a split between Europe and 
>Africa, however, ignores the widespread 
>consensus in civil society in Zimbabwe and the 
>region in favor of continued pressure.
>
>This issue of AfricaFocus Bulletin features statements by two broad
>coalitions of Zimbabwean groups, the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition
>and the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum. Both argue for continued
>international pressure on the Zimbabwean government, including
>continuation of suspension from the Commonwealth. It also includes
>a brief report from the UN's Integrated Regional Information
>Network (IRIN) on the current humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe.
>
>Commonwealth civil society groups meeting in Abuja have followed
>the lead of their Zimbabwean colleagues. The Mozambique News Agency
>(AIM) reported on December 5 a statement from 350 civil society
>organizations in the Commonwealth People's Forum, urging continued
>suspension of Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth. According to AIM,
>activists at a parallel Human Rights Forum issued a similar call,
>warning of "the continuous crisis of governance and human rights in
>Zimbabwe, including political violence, widespread hunger and
>unemployment and the collapse of social services".
>
>++++++++++++++++++++++end editor's note+++++++++++++++++++++++
>
>Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition
>
>Statement on the Occasion of the Commonwealth Heads of Government
>
>Abuja, Nigeria 1-7 December 2003
>
>Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition Box CY434 Causeway, Harare Phone/Fax:
>747 817 Email: info at crisis.co.zw
>
>[Thanks to Pambazuka News for providing this statement. For more
>information on the weekly Pambazuka News, which covers a wide range
>of subjects, see http://www.pambazuka.org Further details on
>current Zimbabwe issues are available at:
>  http://www.pambazuka.org/index.php?id=18848]
>
>Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (The Coalition) is a grouping of the
>major civic organisations in Zimbabwe, comprising 350 Zimbabwean
>non-governmental organisations. It was conceived in 2001 as a
>collective response by Zimbabwean civics to the multi-faceted
>crisis facing the country.
>
>Zimbabwe's economic, political and human rights situation continues
>to be of grave concern to its nationals, the region, and the wider
>international community. Indeed, the possibility of the re-
>admittance and attendance of, Zimbabwe to the December 2003 Abuja
>Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting has occasioned
>controversy. It is our fervent belief that the lifting of
>Zimbabwe's suspension from the Councils of the Commonwealth imposed
>on 19 March 2002 by the Commonwealth Chairpersons Committee on
>Zimbabwe is not essentially a matter of politics and foreign
>policy; rather it is an issue of principle, of normative values of
>human rights, democracy and adherence to international as well as
>national obligations.
>
>It is not the objective of the Coalition to advocate for the
>international isolation of a country we so dearly love, but to
>ensure that the reasons for which it was suspended from the
>Commonwealth are resolved. With deep regret, we once again advice
>the international community that:
>
>* laws that infringe freedom of expression have not been repealed
>but have become more repressive and were recently used to shut down
>the operations of, and arrest journalists working for, Zimbabwe's
>only private daily newspaper, the Daily News;
>
>* violent commercial farm invasions continue, albeit at a reduced
>scale, despite several proclamations that the acquisition exercise
>was concluded and there has been no effort to liase with the UNDP
>to create a viable land reform exercise; and that
>
>* the government consistently undermines the rule of law, the
>independence of the judiciary, in addition to criminalizing all
>manner of dissent and expression of opinion that does not accord
>with the establishment.
>
>* The recent and widely publicised unlawful arrest, detention and
>release after two days without charge, of heads of Civil Society
>leaders of organisations such as the Crisis Coalition, the National
>Constitutional Assembly, Combined Harare Residents Association, and
>the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions illustrates Zimbabwe's
>disregard for: basic human rights and rule of law; its undertakings
>to President Mbeki of South Africa and President Obasanjo over the
>repeal of freedom of expression adverse laws; its obligations under
>the Harare Commonwealth Declaration and the Millbrook Commonwealth
>Action Programme on the Harare Declaration; as well as other
>international obligations under the United Nations Charter on Human
>Rights and the African Charter on Human and People's Rights, among
>others.
>
>There exist other publicised and verifiable cases of gross human
>rights violations, such as the politicisation of food aid earmarked
>to relieve starvation. There are also cases of continued
>manipulation of the electoral system, and disregard for property
>rights.
>
>Because our internal efforts to engage with the government in
>resolving the crisis have been rebuffed and criminalized, we demand
>that the international community continue to pressurise the Mugabe
>regime to enter into national dialogue with legitimate
>representation of the Zimbabwean citizenry. By adopting an arrogant
>attitude, the Zimbabwe government's reaction to its suspension has
>been tainted by bad faith. It has weathered its year of suspension
>and now claims that it ought to be readmitted, without making any
>tangible efforts to resolve the issues which in the first place led
>to its suspension.
>
>Zimbabwe is a willing party within the Commonwealth which is an
>association of sovereign countries, bound together by a value-laden
>set of core principles. Crisis Coalition, therefore, resolves that
>due to Zimbabwe's intransigence and seeming contempt for the ideals
>held by the Commonwealth, its suspension should be extended.
>Zimbabwe should be readmitted, not because it has completed its
>time of suspension but because it has undertaken clear and
>verifiable steps towards resolving issues of concern raised by the
>Commonwealth.
>
>We recommend that the following steps need to be taken:
>
>* an end to political violence and intimidation;
>
>* a repeal of repressive legislation and unjust laws;
>
>* the opening of political space, including access to the print and
>broadcast media;
>
>* addressing the economic and humanitarian crisis;
>
>* the development of a people driven Constitution that entrenches
>democratic, just and accountable government, as a prerequisite to
>new elections;
>
>* the establishment of an electoral and legal framework that
>ensures free and fair elections.
>
>Additionally, the Coalition believes that in order to achieve
>genuine national unity, there is need for a transitional government
>under a transitional Constitution
>
>The Coalition further suggests the following options on the
>Zimbabwe question:
>
>* Should the Mugabe regime continue in its failure to comply with
>the conditions set down for Zimbabwe's readmission to the
>Commonwealth then the issue of expulsion should be considered;
>
>* It is important for the two African Nations at the forefront of
>attempts to mediate the crisis in Zimbabwe namely, Nigeria and
>South Africa to forge an alternative and democratic African voice
>against the abuses in Zimbabwe. The African Community of Nations
>has for too long allowed the authoritarian Mugabe regime to set the
>parameters of the debate on the Zimbabwean crisis, and in so doing
>allowed the gross violation of human rights in the country to be
>relegated to secondary status.
>
>The Coalition lauds all countries that have expressed dismay and
>concern at Zimbabwe's continued repression of its nationals and
>calls on all member states of the Commonwealth to pressure the
>Zimbabwe government towards the resolution of the crisis.
>
>*************************************************************
>
>ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS NGO FORUM
>
>Zimbabwe, the Abuja Agreement and Commonwealth Principles:
>Compliance or Disregard?
>
>8 September 2003
>
>A report by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum
>
>[Brief excerpts only. For full report see
>  http://www.hrforumzim.com]
>
>The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (also known as the "Human
>Rights Forum") is a coalition comprising 16 member organisations.
>It can be contacted through any member organisation or through: The
>Administrator, P O Box 9077, Harare - email: admin at hrforum.co.zw
>Telephone: 250511 Fax: 250494
>
>The International Liaison Office, 33 Islington High Street, London
>N1 9LH email: IntLO at hrforumzim.com; Telephone: +44 (0)20-7713.1123
>                    
>Overview
>
>The Government of Zimbabwe has often asserted that the economic,
>social and political problems currently plaguing the country are
>rooted in the inequitable distribution of land. The Government
>further claims that the reason that attempts to address these
>problems have attracted an unprecedented amount of regional and
>international attention is that the Government's land reform
>program has been viewed unfavourably by Britain and its fellow
>Western nations, white farmers in Zimbabwe and the opposition
>political party the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), which is
>perceived as an extension of these white interests. It is however
>the Human Rights Forum's contention that while the issue of land
>has always been and is a very critical issue requiring urgent
>attention, it is debatable as to whether the land issue is at the
>core of the current Zimbabwean crisis or whether it is in fact a
>crisis arising out of misgovernance, mismanagement of the economy
>and a political struggle to retain power; all masqueraded as a
>campaign for land reform. ...
>
>While the land issue has been used to divert attention away from
>economic decline and a general onslaught on civil and political
>rights, these factors are not causally linked with the need to
>redress land imbalances. The consequence of the crisis on the
>enjoyment of economic and social rights has also been severe. The
>economic crisis has shrouded Zimbabwe since late 1997 predating the
>start of the Fast Track Land Reform Program by at least two years.
>The high levels of political violence commonly reported throughout
>the country, since March 2000, by no means have their root in the
>need for land reform but conversely were closely associated with
>elections and mass demonstrations.
>
>Since the signing of the Abuja Agreement violence on commercial
>farms has scaled down. However, the massive displacement of
>commercial farm workers is ongoing although it has received little
>Government attention. Farm workers continue to be victims of gross
>human rights violations. Additionally, there has certainly been no
>significant reduction in the prevalence of gross human rights
>abuses generally. ...
>
>...
>
>Civil society's position on dialogue is that it is necessary for it
>to resume without delay. Furthermore civil society wishes to assert
>its position as a necessary constituency that must be part of the
>dialogue. Civics meeting in various forums have reiterated this
>demand. Over 175 civil society leaders meeting at a Conference on
>Dialogue and Transition hosted by Crisis In Zimbabwe Coalition on
>5 July 2003 declared, "that civil society has an integral role to
>play in any political transition, and should be involved in
>discussions regarding such transition as an equal partner. In
>addition, the meeting agreed to encourage non-partisan regional
>interventions around nation-building while opposing external
>partisan interference." Zimbabwean civil society again convened in
>Johannesburg at a Symposium entitled "Civil Society and Justice in
>Zimbabwe" and on 13 August 2003 issued a Declaration which outlined
>minimum demands on the two main political parties when they sit
>down to negotiate. Negotiations for a settlement must take into
>account and examine colonial and post-colonial human rights abuses
>in the country with a view to setting up mechanisms for redress.
>Demands for immediate action include an immediate end to political
>violence and disbanding of militia groups, a return to the rule of
>law evidenced by non-partisan policing, and non-selective
>application of the law. ...
>
>[the statement also] emphasised that the issue of food shortages
>should be urgently addressed. It further solicited the assistance
>of the international community in the provision of food aid. Food
>has remained in short supply, particularly in the rural areas, and
>has steadily become inaccessible in terms of cost in the urban
>areas. Response to food shortages through the provision of food aid
>has been hampered through policy conflict in terms of the manner in
>which this food is to be allocated and distributed. Most recently
>government announced that food aid would only be distributed
>through village headmen and not directly through donor agencies. In
>terms of this arrangement "beneficiaries of the NGOs food
>distribution programme will be selected from the ward/village
>assembly and neighbourhood committee registers." This has resulted
>in uncertainty and ultimately this may impact negatively on the
>objectivity in selection of recipients of food aid according to
>criteria of need. ...
>
>Recommended Action
>
>The Human Rights Forum calls upon the Zimbabwe Government and the
>Commonwealth (as the architect of the Abuja Agreement) and other
>regional groupings including the African Union, SADC, and the ACP
>to acknowledge that the Zimbabwean crisis does not have a single
>nucleus in the issue of land redistribution but rather is a
>multi-faceted crisis.
>
>We call upon them to recognise the crisis as resultant of the
>combination of racial inequities in possession of land that date
>back to forceful occupation of land by colonial settlers in the
>late 19th to early 20th century; the endemic political violence and
>human rights abuses; a partisan and politicised judiciary; the
>break down in the rule of law and a deteriorating economic and
>social environment that has prevailed since March 2000.
>
>It is of in the particular interest to African countries to
>accurately diagnose the crisis for as the Abuja Agreement aptly
>stated it, "the situation in Zimbabwe poses a threat to the
>socio-economic stability of the entire sub-region and the continent
>at large". Misdiagnosing the crisis, as has been the case to date,
>perpetuates further decline of the Zimbabwean nation and subsequent
>negative effects on Africa.
>
>Efforts should be made, in particular by regional mediators, to
>reach a consensus as to the approaches that should be taken to
>address the Zimbabwean crisis. Disparate positions on the roots of
>the crisis and its plausible solutions have to date heavily
>contributed to the deterioration of an already desperate situation.
>
>We call upon them to recognise that these factors pertaining to the
>Zimbabwean crisis are inter-related and cannot and should not be
>dealt with as elements independent of each other, or as a single
>core issue with several minor implications
>
>Dialogue between ZANU PF and the MDC should be resumed as a matter
>of urgency. Civil society must not be left out of the process as a
>critical constituency. Negotiations must proceed in good faith. It
>would be deplorable for either party to resume negotiations
>superficially as a face saving measure to provide troika members
>with cause to petition for Zimbabwes readmission into the Councils
>of the Commonwealth in Nigeria in December. Negotiations should be
>entered into with sincerity and with the aim of addressing the
>Zimbabwean crisis.
>
>The culture of intolerance and impunity in Zimbabwe must be
>urgently addressed. Perpetrators of past and present human rights
>violations must be made accountable so as not to perpetuate further
>abuses.
>
>While appreciating Government efforts to review the Fast Track Land
>Reform Program, we call for an independent assessment of the Fast
>Track Land Reform Program in order to establish land ownership and
>occupancy of reportedly redistributed land, taking corrective
>measures to ensure security of tenure and equitable, non partisan,
>rational and sustainable redistribution of land.
>
>We call upon the Zimbabwe Government, in upholding the principles
>contained in the Harare Declaration, to take firm measures to end
>political violence, gross human rights violations, including the
>disbanding of militia groups. We further call upon the Government
>to ensure that the rule of law prevails and that there is impartial
>investigation and prosecution of all crimes by the Zimbabwe
>Republic Police
>
>*************************************************************
>
>ZIMBABWE: Economic crisis compounds food shortages
>
>UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (IRIN)
>http://www.irinnews.org
>
>This material from IRIN, a UN humanitarian information unit, may
>not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its
>agencies.
>
>JOHANNESBURG, 19 Nov 2003 (IRIN) - Zimbabweans continue to face a
>particularly severe humanitarian crisis, with nearly half the
>population having had their livelihoods eroded by severe
>macroeconomic decline and precarious food security, said the UN
>Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
>
>"What began as a food crisis in Zimbabwe in 2002 has grown into a
>major humanitarian emergency, with people suffering the effects of
>a deteriorating economy, HIV/AIDS, depleted social services and
>policy constraints," OCHA said in an appeal to donors.
>
>The organisation noted that "as the country enters its fifth
>successive year of economic decline, Zimbabwe faces critical
>shortages of foreign exchange to maintain essential infrastructure,
>and inflation has soared".
>
>Inflation reached 526 percent in October, according to figures
>issued on Tuesday by the state's Central Statistical Office (CSO).
>Compared with prices in October a year ago, the cost of living went
>up 525.8 percent, against September's annual rate of 456 percent,
>the South African Press Association reported.
>
>The Humanitarian Appeal 2004 for Zimbabwe is based on plans by UN
>Agencies and partner NGOs, to respond to the humanitarian crisis by
>concentrating on three main areas: firstly, to prevent loss of life
>through food, nutrition, and critical health interventions; and
>secondly, to mitigate the impact of the crisis on vulnerable groups
>by supporting household livelihoods and basic services, and
>addressing the impact of HIV/AIDS. The third aim is to develop a
>productive dialogue among humanitarian stakeholders to strengthen
>co-ordination, in order to protect the most vulnerable.
>
>"The HIV/AIDS pandemic is central to the crisis. Recent estimates
>indicate that around 34 per cent of Zimbabwe's 15 to 40 age group
>is infected, and more than 2,500 people die every week of
>AIDS-related causes," OCHA said.
>
>Compounding the crisis is a steady decline in the delivery of
>health, education, social and public services due to a lack of
>finance, and the loss of human resources to emigration and AIDS.
>"One result is that malaria, tuberculosis and cholera cases are on
>the rise. Another result is that Zimbabweans face a severe food
>security crisis in 2003-04. An estimated 5.5 million people will
>require food aid during the coming year. The country has enough
>food to feed its population for just four to five months," OCHA
>said.
>
>In the Consolidated Appeal for Zimbabwe, agencies request US $109.4
>million to meet outstanding funding requirements.
>
>*************************************************************
>AfricaFocus Bulletin is a free independent electronic publication
>providing reposted commentary and analysis on African issues, with
>a particular focus on U.S. and international policies. AfricaFocus
>Bulletin is edited by William Minter.
>
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>
>************************************************************

-- 

Al Kagan
African Studies Bibliographer and Professor of Library Administration
Africana Unit, Room 328
University of Illinois Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801, USA

tel. 217-333-6519
fax. 217-333-2214
e-mail. akagan at uiuc.edu