Statement by the SADC Lawyers Association
SADC Lawyers Association
Statement by the SADC Lawyers Association on Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s refusal to take advice from regional leaders and institutions
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Lawyers Association is concerned about recent media reports indicating that the President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe is refusing to take advice from the SADC appointed Facilitator, South African President Jacob Zuma or from regional institutions including the Southern African Development Community and the African Union. Addressing his party ZANU PF’s 84th Ordinary Session of the Central Committee on the 31st of March 2011 in Zimbabwe, President Mugabe is reported in the Zimbabwe Government owned daily newspaper The Herald and other media outlets to have said that “the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security or any other organization cannot dictate how Zimbabwe should run its internal affairs” and that “even our neighbours should not tell us what to do”. He also said the facilitator Jacob Zuma should not prescribe what Zimbabwe must do.
These remarks followed a statement from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Organ on Politics, Defence and Security following its meeting in Livingstone, Zambia condemning political violence as well as arrests and intimidation of political and human rights activists in Zimbabwe. This is the strongest statement to come from SADC ever since the political crisis in Zimbabwe started more than a decade ago. The position has been welcomed by human rights organizations in and outside Zimbabwe as a positive development in the quest to find a lasting solution to the country’s decade long crisis.
President Robert Mugabe and his government have unfortunately failed to accept this position as a positive development towards finding a lasting solution to the country’s crisis. This is particularly disturbing considering that the advice is coming from African leaders and institutions. In the past, President Mugabe and his government have accused the British, European Union and the Americans of interfering in the internal Affairs of African countries, including Zimbabwe. Many Africans therefore expect President Mugabe to take advice from African leaders and African institutions. His latest position is therefore a direct contradiction to his long held position on Pan Africanism and the need to find African solutions to African problems.
The SADC Lawyers Association therefore:
1) Urges the SADC appointed facilitator on Zimbabwe, South African President Jacob Zuma and SADC to continue to work towards finding a lasting solution to the Zimbabwean crisis.
And
2) Calls upon President Robert Mugabe and his party to respect SADC regional and African leaders and institutions in the spirit of Pan Africanism so as to allow Africa to find African solutions to African problems
Issued for and on behalf of the Southern African Development Community Lawyers Association
By Mrs Thoba Poyo-Dlwati
President
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