AU urged to show strong leadership on Zimbabwe crisis

Dewa Mavhinga, regional coordinator of the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition

By Tichaona Sibanda
27 January 2012

A strong delegation of civic and non-governmental organisations is in the Ethiopian capital to turn up the pressure on the African Union (AU) not to lose its focus on the crisis in Zimbabwe.

The pro-democracy activists begun arriving ahead of the AU summit scheduled to begin in Addis Ababa on Sunday. Zimbabwe will be represented by Robert Mugabe.

Dewa Mavhinga, regional coordinator of the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition told SW Radio Africa from the Ethiopian capital that the onus was on the continental body to push for SADC backed political and electoral reforms in the country.
“The Global Political Agreement (GPA) remains in danger,” he said on Friday. “The African Union must understand that it cannot put off decisions needed to resolve the crisis in Zimbabwe.”
He added: “Our message to the AU leadership is that they should not fold back their hands and let the crisis in Zimbabwe cascade into further turmoil. We want the AU to maintain pressure on politicians in Zimbabwe to meet their obligations and implement fully the GPA.”

Tomaz Salomao, the SADC executive secretary met with the Zimbabwe groups and reiterated that the regional bloc’s position on free and fair elections has not changed.

“He was clear that the SADC position of insisting on critical reforms has not changed and will not change. Salomao said there is need for a number of meetings in Zimbabwe to decide and assess electoral conditions before they could be any elections in Zimbabwe,” Mavhinga said.

Asked to comment on remarks by Zambian President Michael Sata that sought to undermine their work in Zimbabwe, Mavhinga said it would be premature for them to condemn outright what he said.

The sharp tongued Zambian leader criticised the MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai as ‘a Western stooge’ and indicated that reforms in Zimbabwe were not necessary.

“It gives us civics an opportunity to engage Sata and his administration. He’s new and we need to sit down with him and senior members of his party to explain the position in Zimbabwe, and explain also why we are demanding reforms,” Mavhinga said.

He added: “We know that Sata having come to power through democratic elections, and peaceful transfer of power, he would really understand that position and support it.”