Caution greets Zim deal as SA groups wait for change

By Alex Bell
12 September 2008

The deal reached between Zimbabwe’s political leaders has been greeted with caution from South African human rights groups and trade unions – as the world waits to see what the deal has in store for Zimbabwe’s future.

Human Rights Activist and Chair of the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition in South Africa, Elinor Sisulu told Newsreel on Friday the group is ‘cautious’ about commenting on the deal until all the details have been released. She explained that so much needs to change in Zimbabwe and the deal needs to encompass these changes, including opening up the media channels.

Sisulu also said that the safety and security of Zimbabweans needs to be a top priority, especially if Zimbabwean exiles are to be persuaded to return home. Anna Moyo from the Zimbabwe Exiles forum told Newsreel that while it is optimistic about the ‘dawn of a new era’ in Zimbabwe, she echoed the need for caution given Zimbabwe’s political history. She warned that agreements have been reached in the past that have not produced change in Zimbabwe, and this past should not be forgotten.

Moyo added that Zimbabweans in South Africa have welcomed the deal and are ‘looking forward to returning home,’ but emphasised that the deal will not be accepted if there is not a thorough ‘constitutional reconstruction.’ South Africa’s trade union federation, COSATU on Friday also echoed the Exiles Forum’s statements, and said a deal will not be accepted if change is not ensured.

The federation’s Patrick Craven told Newsreel he hopes the deal is not an ‘elite agreement’ that will merely see shifts in positions of power and no real change. Craven said the federation’s policy against Robert Mugabe and his regime ‘will not change if the deal is not accepted,’ and emphasised that political violence, humanitarian violations and continued human rights abuses need to stop. The federation has been a long time critic of Mugabe and his cronies and has made repeated calls for the dictator not to be recognised as a legitimate leader.