[Peace-discuss] Fwd: Zimbabwe: Solidarity Newsletter

[Alfred Kagan]

Some of you may find this interesting.

Begin forwarded message:

> From: africafocus at igc.org
> Date: March 2, 2005 10:01:09 AM CST
> To: akagan at uiuc.edu
> Subject: Zimbabwe: Solidarity Newsletter
>
>
> Zimbabwe: Solidarity Newsletter
>
> AfricaFocus Bulletin
> Mar 2, 2005 (050302)
> (Reposted from sources cited below)
>
> Editor's Note
>
> "The Zimbabwean elections of 2000 and 2002 deepened the political
> crisis, rather than contributing to a progressive resolution. Since
> 2002 democratic space has been further eroded. What Zimbabwe needs
> now is not another gravely flawed election but a SADC-facilitated
> negotiated transition towards democracy." - Zimbabwe Solidarity
> Conference, South Africa, February 24-25, 2005
>
> With parliamentary elections set for March 31, tension is
> escalating in Zimbabwe. Opposition and independent candidates are
> competing in the elections, and observers from the Southern African
> Development Community (SADC) and other organizations are expected
> to be present. But the dominant notes in the pre-election climate
> are intimidation and repression, with the expression of opinion by
> Zimbabwean NGOs and independent media more limited than ever.
>
> International attention tends to focus on critiques from Western
> governments and the reluctance of governments in Southern Africa
> to go beyond quiet diplomacy in confronting the ruling Mugabe
> regime's violations of democratic rights. But perhaps the most
> important new development is increasing activism on Zimbabwe by
> civil society in the region, including trade unions, churches,
> youth groups, Zimbabwean exiles, and others.
>
> This AfricaFocus Bulletin contains reports on the Zimbabwe
> Solidarity Conference, excerpted from the latest issue of the new
> Zimbabwe Solidarity Newsletter. For more details on the newsletter
> and how to subscribe, see the note below at the beginning of the
> newsletter excerpts.
>
> For previous AfricaFocus Bulletins on Zimbabwe, visit
> http://www.africafocus.org/country/zimbabwe.php
> The latest news from allafrica.com and IRIN is available at
> http://www.africafocus.org/country/zimbabwe_news.php
> and
> http://www.africafocus.org/country/zimbabwe_irin.php
>
> Other sources of current news on the Zimbabwe elections and related
> issues include:
> http://www.zwnews.com
> http://www.kubatana.net
> http://www.zimbabwesituation.com
> http://www.iwpr.net/africa_index1.html
>
> ++++++++++++++++++++++end editor's note+++++++++++++++++++++++
>
> Zimbabwe Solidarity Newsletter
>
> Issue 2, Sunday 27 February, 2005
>
> [Excerpts only. From e-mail newsletter published by the Zimbabwe
> Solidarity and Consultation Forum, a network of progressive South
> African civil society organizations, including youth, women,
> labour, faith-based, human rights and student formations.
>
> To subscribe to the Zimbabwe Solidarity Newsletter, send a message
> to solidarity4zim at highveldmail.co.za. Please specify in the subject
> line whether you want the plain-text or PDF version. Full text of
> past issues can be found on the Zimbabwe Situation website
> (http://www.zimbabwesituation.com). Letters, reactions or opinions can 
> be sent to solidarity4zim at highveldmail.co.za with the words
> 'Newsletter reaction' in the subject.]
>
> Solidarity in Practice - the Zimbabwe Solidarity Conference
>
> It wasn't always easy for the many speakers to address the plenary
> session of the solidarity conference on the 24th and 25th of
> February. The atmosphere at the conference facility in the South
> African capital was fiery, and laden with activist energy. Chanting
> and singing filled the conference hall on several occasions and
> came to a climax when Morgan Tsvangirai approached the hall. The
> many Amandla!'s and much spontaneous singing resulted in speeches
> lasting longer than planned as well as a very sweaty organizing
> committee. Jeremy Cronin had to wait at least ten minutes before
> the singing crowd, happy to see him stand before them, allowed him
> to read out and explain the collectively drafted statement.
>
> The bulk of the chanting and singing came from a big presence of
> South African youth organizations such as Cosas and Sasco. They
> cheered up the atmosphere with their activist energy as well as
> provided the necessary insightfulness with critical questions to
> the keynote speakers. But delegates were not only of South African
> origin. Civics from the SADC region at large were well represented,
> and delegates from as far away as the Democratic Republic of Congo,
> Malawi and Angola were present, alongside with brothers and sisters
> from Mozambique, Lesotho, Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland and Zambia.
> Another show of solidarity came from the chair of the conference,
> Bishop Rubin Phillip of Kwazulu-Natal, when he asked for moments of
> silence and moments of prayer. These allowed delegates a chance to
> commemorate the many Zimbabweans who have given their lives for
> freedom. This sombre reflections allowed participants to pay
> respect to the many who, over the last few years, have been killed,
> tortured, raped or have been made homeless as a consequence of
> their continued struggle for freedom. But with the
> Inter-denominational Women's Prayer League from Mamelodi to back
> the prayers up many found their moment of silence with Zimbabwean
> friends and family on their minds and in their hearts.
>
> The conference ended in several strong commitments to concrete acts
> of solidarity, as can be witnessed by the conference statement
> (further on in the newsletter) and the ensuing agenda. The
> conference agreed that the focus should not only be on the March
> 2005 elections, but also long-term. It was further noted that these
> problems not only exist in Zimbabwe but elsewhere in the region but
> that we have to join forces to tackle the Zimbabwe crisis first.
> Delegates emphasised that we have to repay Zimbabwe for the respect
> and support it showed us during the anti-apartheid struggle as much
> as we would expect their help and assistance again if ever we in
> South Africa are faced with the ordeals Zimbabwe is now faced with.
> Bishop Rubin closed the conference with a poem by Freedom
> Nyamubaya, who had joined Mugabe's ZANLA army at the age of 15
> where her first sexual experience with men was to be raped in the
> camp - an all-too-common experience for many women recruits in the
> ZANLA forces during the liberation war. And sadly today this
> experience is no different for the many young women in the youth
> militia camps.
>
> Poem Hey Man, Come with Me!
>
> Sometimes I get lonely
> While the world is full of life.
> I see happy faces torn with joy,
> loving girl-friends and loving husbands.
> I sit and wonder what is wrong
> for I stand with thousands
> and I only count as one.
>
> Mother is so far.
> Maybe she is dead.
> This world gets so frantic -
> I really miss home.
> Oh! Forget about home,
> It's another blood pool.
> But I love my people
> This, I cannot hide . . .
>
> Hey man, come with me!
> let us fight this fight together.
> Yes, I store love for you,
> but I will always love my people.
> If we have a family, let Fighters be our name;
> we need no ring, no ceremony -
> Let victory be our ring.
>
> Courtesy of Freedom T.V. Nyamubuya, from "on the road again",
> Freedom Publishers
>
> Reporting Back - Third Zimbabwe Solidarity Conference
>
> The Third Zimbabwe Solidarity Conference was held in Pretoria,
> South Africa on the 24th and 25th of February. Attendees at the
> Conference included representatives from civil society
> organizations across the SADC region who had come together to
> discuss a program of action in solidarity with Zimbabweans in the
> run up to the March 31st parliamentary elections in Zimbabwe, and
> beyond.
>
> The Conference began with a keynote address by COSATU secretary
> general, Zwelenzima Vavi. Vavi noted the historic ties between
> South Africa and Zimbabwe, including between the two nation's
> labour movements before describing the ongoing crisis in Zimbabwe.
> Assessing the upcoming March 31st elections in Zimbabwe, Vavi said,
> "it will take a miracle to save the credibility of these
> elections." Obstacles to a free and fair election, Vavi said,
> included draconian legislation such as the Public Order and
> Security Act (POSA) and the Access to Information and Protection
> Act (AIPPA), as well as the "chaotic voters roll," which Vavi said
> "is in a complete shambles."
>
> Two veterans of Zimbabwe's liberation struggle, Wilfred Mhanda and
> Freedom Nyamubaya also spoke at the conference. Mhanda emphasised
> that the liberation struggle had been a struggle of the Zimbabwean
> people, saying, "Mugabe on his own could not have liberated
> Zimbabwe." Addressing the upcoming elections, Mhanda argued that
> election conditions that would be unacceptable in South Africa
> should also be unacceptable in Zimbabwe.
>
> The President of the Young Communists' League, David Masondo,
> addressed the conference. Masondo criticized the ZANU (PF) regime,
> saying that the history of oppression had been appropriated by
> Mugabe. Masondo also identified the role played by repressive
> legislation and violence, asking, "How can Zimbabweans resolve
> their own problems when the necessary conditions are not there?"
> "We are very critical of that stance of our government," he added.
>
> Chris Landsberg, Director of the Centre for Policy Studies,
> described the possibility of SADC intervening in the Zimbabwean
> crisis as very unlikely, suggesting that SADC countries were
> hesitant to criticize Mugabe for fear of being seen as "sellouts."
>
> Morgan Tsvangirai, president of the opposition Movement for
> Democratic Change (MDC) addressed the Conference at the opening of
> the second day. Tsvangirai said that ZANU (PF) had betrayed the
> ideal of "one man, one vote" espoused by the liberation struggle.
> Focusing on the March election, Tsvangirai noted the poor condition
> of the voters roll, saying that the MDC estimated that there were
> between 800,000 and 1 million dead voters on the roll. "The
> election will not be free and fair no matter what the result," said
> Tsvangirai, citing Zimbabwe's continuing non-compliance with the
> SADC Norms and Guidelines governing democratic elections.
> Tsvangirai stressed that there was consensus on the issue of land
> redistribution in Zimbabwe, but that the MDC disagreed with the
> ruling party over the methodology, saying land should go to
> ordinary people not politicians.
>
> The President of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU),
> Lovemore Matombo, likened the workers of Zimbabwe to "the grass
> that suffers when two bull elephants fight."
>
> Through extensive discussions, the Conference produced a programme
> of action targeted at drawing greater attention to the suffering of
> Zimbabweans and promoting action from all stakeholders in the
> region. The Conference identified the resolution of the "persisting
> political blockage" as the necessary condition for addressing the
> social, economic and moral crises in Zimbabwe. The Conference also
> stated that the March 31st elections "will not be remotely
> compliant with [the SADC] guidelines" and stated its support for a
> more "hands-on role" by SADC in the elections. A statement drafted
> by the plenary session of the conference is included in this
> newsletter.
>
> Statement 3rd Zimbabwean Solidarity Conference
>
> 24th-25th February, South Africa,
> the Zimbabwe Solidarity and Consultation Forum
>
> The Zimbabwe Solidarity and Consultation forum is a network of
> progressive South African civil society organizations, including
> youth, women, labour, faith-based, human rights and student
> formations. Over the past months our network has grown rapidly in
> size and influence, and we say confidently that we have contributed
> to a much greater understanding of the crisis and challenges in
> Zimbabwe within our organizations and within the broader South
> African debate. We convened our 3rd Zimbabwe Solidarity Conference
> on the 24-25th February in Tshwane to assess progress in our work
> and to discuss a programme of action going forward.
>
> All dimensions of the crisis in Zimbabwe require urgent attention.
> However, it is the persisting political blockage that makes it
> difficult to address the social, economic and moral crises in any
> sustainable way. Our solidarity efforts need to be directed at the
> political crisis in Zimbabwe as a priority but not to the exclusion
> of the other dimensions of the crisis.
>
> We commend efforts made by the South African government and by SADC
> to foster talks between the major political forces in Zimbabwe to
> arrive at a negotiated road-map for a democratic transition. These
> endeavours have not succeeded for the moment. There has been a lack
> of seriousness from the side of the ZANU-PF government. The
> unilateral declaration of a March 31 election date by the
> Zimbabwean government is in complete breach of the spirit and
> intent of that process.
>
> As we move towards March 31, we need to bear in mind that the
> Zimbabwean elections of 2000 and 2002 deepened the political
> crisis, rather than contributing to a progressive resolution. Since
> 2002 democratic space has been further eroded. What Zimbabwe needs
> now is not another gravely flawed election but a SADC-facilitated
> negotiated transition towards democracy.
>
> Comparing 2005 with the elections of 2000 and 2002 there is one
> crucially important difference now. We have in place the SADC
> Principles and Guidelines. All SADC governments have solemnly
> signed these Principles, which commit them (in terms of clause 7.1)
> to a scrupulous implementation. As South African and Southern
> African citizens we are proud of these very important and
> thoroughly progressive Principles and Guidelines. The fundamental
> requirements of a legitimate election are no longer a matter of
> vagueness, they are clearly benchmarked.
>
> It is already clear that the forthcoming March 31 elections will
> not be remotely compliant with these Principles and Guidelines. We
> believe that the majority of SADC governments should appreciate
> very clearly that any pragmatic compromise on the SADC Principles
> and Guidelines, in the vain hope that this compromise will
> establish some kind of stability in Zimbabwe will, in fact:
>
> *. Perpetuate the Zimbabwean political crisis;
>
> *. Undermine the standing of our regional governments in the eyes
> of their citizens and the international community at large.
>
> They will also appreciate that this is a litmus test for other
> elections in our region.
>
> We support President Mbeki's views that SADC must have a much more
> hands on role in the run up to the March 31 elections. We believe
> that this must apply with even greater vigour after the end of
> March. SADC must actively fulfil its responsibilities in Zimbabwe
> to open up democratic space that remains open beyond the election
> itself. We are disappointed that SADC, for whatever reason, has in
> the past weeks been slow to take up its role in Zimbabwe.
>
> In the coming days and weeks, we, the participating formations
> within the Zimbabwe Solidarity and Consultation Forum will be
> intensifying our activities within South Africa and throughout our
> region, in support of our vision and in solidarity with the people
> of Zimbabwe. We call on all South and Southern Africans to join us
> in these activities. Our solidarity efforts will need to extend way
> beyond the election itself.
>
> At this week's conference we have agreed upon a wide range of
> practical activities aimed at raising awareness and conscientising
> people about the crisis in Zimbabwe which include:
>
> *. Mass actions aimed at popularizing our vision and mobilizing and
> organizing people behind our solidarity efforts. These actions
> include support for the COSATU programme and a range of other
> localized and national efforts on campuses, within places of
> worship and in communities.
>
> * Our solidarity front also welcomes COSATU's efforts with allied
> formations in SATUCC. Many of our participating formations will
> also be working closely with their regional counterparts.
>
> *. We will also be supporting a range of efforts to ensure that
> South African civil society formations are represented in election
> monitoring initiatives.
>
> *. Engaging the media to ensure adequate and impartial coverage of
> the situation in Zimbabwe and using our networks to increase access
> to information.
>
> *. A consolidation of the growing level of participation of mass
> based youth and student structures in our solidarity efforts and
> recognition of the importance of this involvement.
>
> During the coming days further details of the specific activities
> will be released as action plans are further developed.
>
>
> SADC finally invited to oversee elections
>
> The Southern African Development Community has finally, 58 days too
> late according to their own guidelines, been invited to monitor the
> March 31 elections in Zimbabwe. This belated invitation in itself
> shows ZANU-PF's blatant disrespect for SADC and its 13 members and
> it's unwillingness to abide by the SADC principles and guidelines
> for free and fair elections, according to analysts. As a
> consequence it will become increasingly difficult for SADC to
> describe the elections as "credible", as it did in 2002, because it
> had failed to monitor the run-up to the elections Anne Hamerstad,
> an expert on SADC at South Africa's Institute for Security Studies
> said. Sehlare Makgetlaneng of the Africa Institute of South Africa
> went further to say, "It is already too late to send an observer
> mission now. SADC should have been more pro-active."
>
> Invitations have been extended to some 32 countries, including 23
> from Africa and five from Asia. Several organisations have also
> been invited, including the African Union, the Common Market for
> Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the Non-Aligned Movement and
> the United Nations. (IRIN, 21 Feb)
>
> Analysis - the SADC Protocol and the Observers: Does this
> Contribute to Regional Solidarity for Liberation Ideals and Agenda?
>
> Much hope has been placed on the SADC Principles and Guidelines
> Governing Democratic Elections. Clearly the hope has been that
> Zimbabwe's voluntary acceptance of African standards would lead to
> a situation in which Zimbabwe would create the internal conditions
> for a poll that could be accepted by its regional allies.
>
> However, SADC now finds itself in a serious dilemma. Ever since the
> disputed election in 2000, SADC has been fighting a series of
> rear-guard actions to maintain its credibility over Zimbabwe. At
> the UN Human Rights Commission, the Commonwealth Heads of
> Government Summit, the EU-ACP Parliamentary Forum, and in other
> international fora, SADC member states have fought to prevent
> Zimbabwe's further isolation, and, in so doing, have tried to
> portray the Zimbabwe crisis as minimal. This has meant that the
> more odious features of the crisis - the gross human rights
> violations, the burgeoning food shortages, and the general economic
> collapse - have all had to be down-played in an effort to ensure
> that Zimbabwe's problems are managed continentally. In the final
> analysis, the problems of Zimbabwe will have to be managed
> regionally.
>
> So SADC has set itself up to be the final arbiter of the
> forthcoming poll, and would seem to have walked neatly into yet
> another trap set by Robert Mugabe. In essence, the trap is very
> simple: you can only judge on what you see. So the Zimbabwe
> Government plays the SADC Principles and Guidelines with a very
> fine sense of judgement, leaving SADC reeling in its wake.
>
> On the one hand, the Government states baldly that these are only
> guidelines and principles, and not a legally binding instrument:
> every sovereign state will apply the principles and guidelines
> within the context of its own constitution and political situation.
> Hence observers must judge not in some absolute manner, but
> relatively according to these constraints. For example, Zimbabwe
> has constituencies and a first-past-the-post model, not
> proportional representation, and thus postal votes are very
> difficult to incorporate in this model.
>
> But, on the other hand, the Zimbabwe Government applies the
> Principles and Guidelines very legalistically over the matter of
> observers. According to these principles, a government shall invite
> observers if it sees fit, and such observers need only be present
> 2 weeks before the poll. It is desirable that they be present 90
> days before the poll, but the minimum requirement is 2 weeks, and
> the Zimbabwe Government looks like making this minimum stick.
>
> So it seems that SADC will be forced into giving this poll the
> thumbs up, if only because they will not be present in the country
> long enough to satisfactorily observe the pre-election process.
> Furthermore, since they have studiously refrained from commenting
> on all the many adverse aspects of Zimbabwean political life in the
> past, they will be unable to draw on their own previous knowledge
> if they want to maintain face. SADC will be unable to comment on
> the effects of sustained political violence on an electorate if it
> has not previously admitted their existence. Indeed, the President
> of Tanzania has already denied that violence has been a problem,
> and this notwithstanding the report of the African Commission on
> Human and Peoples' Rights now adopted by the AU.
>
> As the introduction to the SADC Principles and Guidelines puts it:
> the SADC region has made significant strides in the consolidation
> of the citizens' participation in the decision-making processes and
> consolidation of democratic practice and institutions. It was the
> denial of citizen participation that led to the many struggles in
> Southern Africa, and to the liberation of all Southern African
> countries from colonial and racist regimes. Zimbabwe now provides
> an important test of the commitment expressed above, and all are
> watching to see whether SADC will expand this commitment to ensure
> full participation of Zimbabweans in their choice of government. Or
> will SADC founder on the rock of narrow interpretations of national
> sovereignty, and another bright new African start be dulled by
> misplaced solidarity with an elite out of step with its people?
>
>
> *************************************************************
> AfricaFocus Bulletin is an 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.
>
> AfricaFocus Bulletin can be reached at africafocus at igc.org. Please
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> or to suggest material for inclusion. For more information about
> reposted material, please contact directly the original source
> mentioned. For a full archive and other resources, see
> http://www.africafocus.org
>
> ************************************************************
>
>
>


Al Kagan
African Studies Bibliogrpaher and Professor of Library Administration
University of Illinois Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801

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