Zimbabwe Watch presents letter to president Mbeki of South Africa
10 April 2008 -
Zimbabwe Watch, a coalition of Dutch organisations for development and human rights, wrote a letter to the president of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, to urge him to use his influence to help ensure that the Zimbabwean election are free and fair. Manuela Monteiro, general director of Hivos, delivered the letter to the Embassy of South Africa in The Hague on behalf of Zimbabwe Watch. The contents of the letter are as follows.
To His Exc. Mr Thabo Mbeki
President of the Republic of South Africa
Your Excellency,
We, Zimbabwe Watch, a coalition of Dutch organisations for development and human rights, with strong and longstanding relations with Zimbabwe, kindly ask your urgent attention for the following matter. On March 29 elections were held in Zimbabwe. Today, on the eleventh day after the polls, the results of the Presidential election have not been released.
We wish to express our concern about this delay in the release of Zimbabwe's presidential election results. We urge you to use your regional influence to help ensure the elections are free and fair and that the publicly announced results from the Zimbabwean Electoral Commission (ZEC) reflect the results posted outside polling stations.
In particular, we are concerned about the possibility of instability arising from the failure to declare the presidential election results. This delay and the failure of the ZEC to adequately explain these delays is fuelling widespread perception that the vote is being manipulated and hence is running counter to the will of the people.
We urge you to work to ensure that SADC fulfils its obligation to the people of Zimbabwe and guarantees that the will of the people is upheld in the parliamentary elections.
Given South Africa's international reputation for democracy, tolerance and reconciliation, we urge the South African government to take the following actions:
· Ensure that SADC make the strongest representations to the Harare government to stand by the international and regional commitments it has signed in relation to free and fair elections and ensure it implements these to recognised democratic standards;
· To ensure that, in the event of any second round of presidential elections, the stipulations of the Electoral Act for a 21 day period between first and second rounds is adhered to. If presidential powers to extend this to 90 days were to be allowed, the current president, who is an interested party, would have an unfair advantage. This would be in contravention of both natural justice and accepted democratic practice;
· Lead a process of peaceful mediation in the event of a disputed outcome;
· Use its influence in the region to aid Zimbabwean security forces in respecting the verdicts of the people.
The Zimbabwean people have suffered enough. If their democratic choice has been to elect a new leader, their will should be respected. The unexplained delays in the release of election results are unacceptable, and we strongly urge the South African government to do everything in its power to ensure the announced results reflect the true will of the Zimbabwean people to ensure stability in the region.
Excellency, it is ironic that we deliver this letter at the very same Embassy where we assembled frequently during the eighties, to protest against the system of apartheid in your country. We did so in full consultation with the ANC, and often with participation of ANC members. Needless to say that in those days the door of the Embassy remained closed to us. From that same spirit of solidarity with people to whom development is denied and whose human and democratic rights are violated, we come to this same Embassy to deliver this letter. We sincerely hope that the difference with the past will not only be that the door will not be closed, but that our plea will be heard and lead to action.
Yours sincerely,
Manuela Monteiro
On behalf of Zimbabwe Watch
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