Zimbabwe: Regional Intervention 'Long Time Coming'

Integrated Regional Information Networks, United Nations, March 25, 2007

Addressing ruling party supporters in Harare on Friday, Mugabe lashed out at the opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, and Britain and America for causing the economic problems the country is facing and supporting violence. (Photo: Desmond Kwande / AFP-Getty Images)

Southern Africa is "finally" assuming leadership in trying to resolve the burning Zimbabwean crisis on their doorstep, but it has been a long time coming, said analysts, as three members from a regional powerhouse met in Lesotho to chalk a way forward. The Southern African Development Community (S.A.D.C.), which has pushed for an approach of "quiet diplomacy" to the Zimbabwean crisis, has increasingly come under fire for failing to wield any influence.

"But the brutal public attack on civic leaders and leaders of the opposition [the week before last] has forced the private rumblings of discontent over Zimbabwe to become public and break away from their traditional solidarity response," said Brian Raftopoulos, a Zimbabwean academic and African affairs specialist at the South African-based Institute for Justice and Reconciliation.

A Zimbabwean opposition supporter was killed the week before last, and Morgan Tsvangirai, who leads a faction of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, was among the pro-democracy leaders arrested and beaten by the police, allegedly for inciting violence.

This week, Zambia's President Levy Mwanawasa, currently deputy chair of the S.A.D.C., broke ranks with the regional body to admit that "quiet diplomacy has failed to help solve the political chaos and economic meltdown in Zimbabwe," and even likened the country to "a sinking Titanic whose passengers are jumping out in a bid to save their lives."

Acknowledging the gravity of the recent outbreak of violence in Zimbabwe, he said Zambia had been forced to re-think its position after "the twist of events in the troubled country," which "necessitates the adoption of a new approach."

Mwanawasa's comments came ahead of a meeting under the auspices of S.A.D.C. in the Lesotho capital, Maseru, on Thursday and Friday, at which Zambia, Lesotho and Tanzania discussed "how best" the regional organization could respond, "with a view to helping Zimbabwe in its current difficulties," said Vernon Mwaanga, Zambia's acting foreign minister. Zambia will assume leadership of the S.A.D.C. in August.

"The meeting, attended by Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, who heads the regional security arm, and Lesotho's Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili, who is currently the chair of S.A.D.C., and Zambia, looked at several options," added Mwaanga.

These will be put forward at an S.A.D.C. meeting in Tanzania this week. Kikwete, whose country is one of an S.A.D.C. "troika" on Zimbabwe, along with Namibia and Lesotho, met Mugabe a few days ago.

S.A.D.C. has been in existence since 1980, when it was formed as a loose alliance of nine majority-ruled states in Southern Africa, known as the Southern African Development Coordination Conference, to coordinate development projects to lessen its economic dependence on then apartheid South Africa. Since then the organization's objectives have evolved into maintaining common political values and promoting peace and security, with a view to boosting development.

Raftopoulos said the S.A.D.C. should have stamped the "human rights debate" on Zimbabwe as "African" at least seven years ago, when the 2000 general elections had been marred by violence but were endorsed by the S.A.D.C. as "free and fair."

In 2005, more than 700,000 people were internally displaced by Operation Murambatsvina (Drive Out Trash), a three-month campaign to rid the country of slums and illegal informal businesses. Again, the S.A.D.C. maintained its silence. "Instead, it [S.A.D.C.] allowed itself to be conned by the Zimbabwean regime into branding the human rights debate as 'Western,'" said Raftopoulos.

Chris Maroleng, an analyst with the think-tank Institute for Security Studies, commented, "S.A.D.C. has been hamstrung on Zimbabwe, as it has failed to adopt a common position. S.A.D.C., as a multilateral forum, failed to engage with Zimbabwe, as members found themselves polarized. Except for smaller countries in the region, such as Botswana and Lesotho, regional powers like South Africa have failed to criticize Zimbabwe. But the gap between the countries has begun to narrow."

Africa's efforts to mediate between Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF and opposition parties have been fruitless: in 2005, the African Union appointed former Mozambique President Joaquim Chissano to help solve Zimbabwe's problems; last year the S.A.D.C. appointed former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa to mediate in the strained relations between Harare and Britain.

Maroleng said the region should now try to create "an enabling environment" in Zimbabwe to create the "political space" for dialogue between the ruling party and civil society.

Zimbabweans Take Initiative

Meanwhile, Zimbabwean pro-democracy activists have become more vocal. Tension has been mounting in Zimbabwe for the past two months, marked by protests and running battles with the police over a worsening economic crisis compounded by shortages of foreign currency, food, fuel, electricity, and medicines. Last month, political meetings were banned in the capital, Harare.

On Thursday, Pius Ncube, the Archbishop of Zimbabwe's second city, Bulawayo, called for mass street protests to force Mugabe to "step down" from power.

Zimbabwean nongovernmental organizations and a coalition of churches have condemned the political violence that has erupted in Zimbabwe in recent weeks, and urged dialogue to restore peace.

The National Association of Non-Governmental Organizations, representing more than 1,000 civil groups throughout the country, said it was concerned by police heavy-handedness when dealing with critics.

The association warned that the current political tension could lead to civil unrest, adding that recent violent incidents "have occurred against the backdrop of a politically, socially, and economically volatile situation, characterized by high levels of poverty and inequality, militarization of state functions, and de-legitimization of civil society initiatives."

The association called for the establishment of a national human rights commission, which has been in the cards, in addition to lifting the ban on political gatherings, constitutional reform, and the "repeal of repressive legislation," while the Zimbabwe Council of Churches attributed the outbreak of violence to the ban on political meetings.

In a statement on Wednesday the council said, "This orgy of violence, which is attributed to the ban on political gatherings in Harare for three months, is provoking the opposition, especially at this strategic moment when political parties are preparing for the 2008 presidential election." © IRIN

[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]