Job Sikhala-Led Group Calls For Protests Against SADC During Upcoming Summit
The Job Sikhala-led National Democratic Working Group (NDWG) has urged Zimbabwean citizens to protest against what it calls the “betrayal” by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) during the regional bloc’s 44th Summit, set to be held in Harare on August 17, 2024.
In a statement issued on Thursday, August 1, 2024, NDWG Director of Communications Courage Shumba said Zimbabweans should register their protests “whichever way they conceive to be effective, provided such actions are peaceful and within the law.”
Shumba reiterated that demonstrations are a lawful and constitutionally protected right that the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) should respect and protect.
The NDWG accused SADC of ignoring its own report on Zimbabwe’s 2023 general elections, and described the upcoming Summit as “a convergence of hypocrites who indicate left and turn right, defending tyranny instead of a progressive, peaceful political transition underpinned by democratic elections.” Reads the statement:
The National Democratic Working Group Statement on the SADC Summit.
The National Democratic Working Group, a social justice movement, bringing together political parties, Civic organisations, the Church, trade associations, war veterans, youths, student unions and individuals across the country hereby presents the following statement in light of the Sadc Summit to be held in Harare, Zimbabwe from the 17th to the 18th of August 2024.
1. The assumption of the Chairmanship of SADC by Emmerson Mnangagwa, although coincidental through it being rotational, being itself acquired through no act of merit is wrong and inappropriate whilst SADC is still addressing the legitimacy issue arising from the elections ( August 2023) which were condemned as neither fair, credible, nor free or neither conforming to SADC guidelines on elections by SADC’s own instrument for the observation of the same for its member states
2. The assumption of the Chairmanship is happening in a tense environment characterised by intimidation, harassment, death threats, wanton arrests of opposition politicians, and civic activists and increased closure of democratic space in the host member state.
3. The SADC summit is continuing against a background of threats by army commanders to force the electorate to vote against its will in future elections. SADC ought to be disturbed and moved to respond to such careless, reckless and disturbing utterances that are sure to ignite despondency and instability.
4. The SADC Summit is an unnecessary burden for a country that is completely on its knees in every shape and form. The country has been reduced to a basket case through officialised corruption where the entire state infrastructure is under attack from politically immune powerful criminals and their middlemen. This is a country with a fractured health system, a dilapidated road and rail network, a crushed education system and a third of its working-age doing menial jobs outside its borders.
5. The Summit which will leave the democracies of 16 nations in the hands of a failing Harare dictatorship is a grave miscalculation on the part of all its attendees and the rest of the people of Southern Africa who for the next 12 months will labour under the mediocrity of this uncreative and defensive Harare establishment.
6. SADC which ignored its own fact-finding mechanism to enhance peaceful political transition in Southern African countries through credible elections which conform to a single regional standard the summit is now, in the eyes of most Zimbabweans, a convergence of hypocrites who indicate left and turn right defending tyranny instead of progressive peaceful political transition underpinned by democratic elections.
7. NDWG encourages all persons who feel betrayed by the SADC organisation to register their protests to its member states at the opportune 44th SADC Meeting whichever way they conceive to be effective provided such actions are peaceful and within the law.
8. NDWG reiterates that demonstrations are lawful and freedom of expression is a constitutional right that must be used to defend our rights as enshrined in the Constitution and under international law.
9. NDWG calls on the police and security services to appropriately assist all persons who wish to demonstrate against this SADC gathering and to express themselves during the Summit. It will be in the interests of public order and public safety for the police to have an active role in facilitating the movement of the protestors during such demonstrations.
10. NDWG calls on the police to refrain from barbaric acts, use of force and wanton arresting of citizens exercising their democratic rights in a free, independent and sovereign country. A non-partisan, able, willing and efficient police will assist the protestors to deliver their messages peacefully to the SADC leaders without incident.
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