“It’s scandalous for SADC to remain silent on Zimbabwe”: President Levy Mwanawasa, SADC Chairperson
This comes via AFP:
Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa, current chair of the 14-nation Southern African Development Community, said Sunday it was “scandalous for SADC to remain silent on Zimbabwe.”
“It’s scandalous for SADC to remain silent on Zimbabwe,” Mwanawasa told reporters after Zimbabwe opposition chief Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew from the country’s presidential run-off.
He added that conditions in Zimbabwe had violated SADC’s principles on elections.
“The current political situation in Zimbabwe falls far short of the SADC principles,” said the president.
“Free campaigns have not been allowed, and the opposition have been denied access to the media. These are all in contravention of the SADC principles.”
Mwanawasa criticised South African President Thabo Mbeki’s mediation efforts in Zimbabwe’s crisis, saying he had not briefed him on his meeting last week with Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe.
SADC has appointed Mbeki mediator in the crisis.
“I feel disappointed that as the chairman I’m being denied information,” said Mwanawasa. “I have to rely on my own intelligence reports gathered on Zimbabwe.”
The regional bloc has been divided on how to deal with Zimbabwe, with Botswana and Zambia taking a harder line.
In his comments on Sunday, Mwanawasa suggested the Zimbabwe vote could be postponed until a later date, without providing further details.
“There is no need to be ashamed in announcing that the presidential run-off should be called off until further notice,” he said.
Tsvangirai said his party reached the decision to withdraw because violence in the country had made a fair vote impossible.
The opposition claims more than 80 of its supporters had been killed in a campaign of intimidation ahead of the vote and thousands injured.
June 22nd, 2008 23:29
Good on yer, President Mwanawasa
Mugabe has divided Africa into two clear groups – those who believe in democracy and the rule of law, and those who don’t. We shall remember both.
June 22nd, 2008 23:36
Good on you President Mwanawasa. You are doing Africa proud. But now we need firm action from SADC under your leadership Sir!.
Senator David Coltart
June 23rd, 2008 00:46
Bravo President Mwanawasa. I solute you for the courage that you are showing. As a Zambian by birth I am proud that you are our President, taking a lead when others are silent. I pray that our neighbours can be inspired by your leadership and that democracy can be restored in Zimbabwe.
Michael Hart
Formerly of Chingola now in Ireland
June 23rd, 2008 02:06
Please stay determined like this, Mr. Mwanawasa. Surely Mr. “No crisis” Mbeki will continue with his absurd beating about the bush, so we need someone to stay focused. You should boycot any meeting where Mugabe attends, and break diplomatic connections with his illegitimate rule.
As a non African I still feel ashamed that the world does nothing to help, but maybe it is now time for the MDC to call for full scale UN sanctions and not just the travel bans that lets Mugabe & wife visit Italy. Like the ANC called for sanctions during apartheid.
Life goes on and by tomorrow Zimbabwe will not be breaking news on BBC, Sky and CNN anymore. It will just be “well, that’s Africa, we don’t care, these crazy African people are like that”. I feel so frustrated that I am not able to sleep (2 AM CET) but we haven’t heard anything usefull from MDC other than “we give up”. If I lived in Zimbabwe, today would be the day where I would have decided to leave.
At the same time I find it very strange that many of my friends from other African countries just shrug their shoulders and say that it is Mugabe’s country because of history. Why do many Africans support a fascist dictator like Mugabe just because he is black and a former liberator? I don’t support the US’ abuses of human right in Guantanamo just because the Americans are our friends and liberated us from nazi Germany.
I don’t get it and on a sad day like today I am so disappointed finding people clinging to “it is Mugabe’s country” – like the majority of its people don’t matter at all.
Sorry bout the not very constructive comments here, but my heart is bleading and causes the brain to go crazy
June 23rd, 2008 08:07
I pity everybody who stands for democracy because the devilish fellows who call themselves liberators will not yield power until the whole region is in turmoil. The stupid liberators will blame everything on the whiteman! But we are now prisoners in our own country!
June 23rd, 2008 09:02
Well said. Its good to see that at last there are a few African leaders who are prepared to put countries & their people above the needs of their friends in power. Now its time for some action from SADC.
June 23rd, 2008 11:43
Saw the speech live on TV yesterday. Levy was visibly annoyed with his now well understood “wont take no bullshit stance”.
Mbeki and Mugabe both forget history all too well. To say Lusaka is meddling is spitting on our faces. Thats the same city both men called home not too long ago.
They forget that that Zambia was the OTHER Rhodesia and she too lost lives so Mugabe would be free. Am in my early 30’s but still remember what it feels like to feel the ground shake during an air raids.
To say go away today is to say you went it alone. Stop building castles in the sky. Build schools and hospitals.