Damning EU/ACP report on Zim

Official sources in Kigali told The Zimbabwean by telephone that a ruling party delegation currently in the Rwandan capital, comprising Forbes Magadu, Senator for Chitungwiza; Walter Mzembi, junior minister and also MP for Masvingo South; Enita Maziriri, the MP for Chivi North and Edward Chindori-Chininga, the MP for Guruve, hurriedly moved to respond to the damning report, that chronicles the breakdown in the rule of law and the appalling institutional collapse in Zimbabwe. The team set a deadline for itself during the last sitting of the EU/ACP joint assembly in Brussels that they would respond to the charges at the next sitting in a bid to ward off pressure from the executive council during debate on the report. They were thoroughly grilled, said our source. The opposition is being represented at the joint assembly by Kuwadzana MP and MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa, which is due to join his fellow parliamentarians Thursday. The report, highly critical of the Mugabe regime, calls for the disbanding of the Zimbabwean police’s law and order unit, which is accused of operating under political instruction from the ruling Zanu (PF) party. It also calls for the de-militarisation of state institutions, redefining the role of traditional chiefs in politics, putting a stop to the use of state and donor food relief for political gain and ending a campaign of violence targeted at the democratic opposition. Government spokesman George Charamba was not immediately available for comment. But a Foreign Office official confirmed the government was due to respond to the report at the Kigali summit. I can confirm the government of Zimbabwe has studied and has prepared a response to the report in line with the commitment made at the EU/ACP Joint Parliamentary Assembly, she said. I am not sure if they have tabled the response in Kigali as yet, but yes, they were scheduled to do so. Zimbabwe refused to receive an EU/ACP a fact-finding mission to the crisis-torn country in June after widespread reports of human-rights abuses. Zimbabwe claimed there was no need for a parallel process to the mediation being led by South African President Thabo Mbeki. The EU/ACP report is particularly critical of the police, the CIO, military intelligence and youth brigades which have shown signs of being biased in favour of the ruling party. The pre-election violence currently wrecking Zimbabwe and feedback from the inter-party talks being coordinated by Mbeki were high on the joint assembly agenda, according to our source. The Zimbabwean heard that the Zanu (PF) delegation blamed the pre-election unrest on Britain, which it claims is undermining the growth of genuine democracy, the rule of law and the culture of respect for human rights by inciting international hostility against Zimbabwe and by sponsoring organisations to arouse domestic upheaval meant to render the country ungovernable. The EU/ACP joint assembly is also expected to receive feedback on South African mediated negotiations tomorrow between the ruling Zanu (PF) party and both factions of the MDC. The talks are mainly centering on issues such as the de-militarisation of state institutions, the role of traditional chiefs in politics, use of state and donor food relief for political gain and foreign broadcasts to Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwean heard that the ruling party delegation was expected to brief the joint assembly tomorrow on the postponement of the talks deadline from November 15 to 30. Our Kigali source said the ruling party delegation had indicated it would report that so far, the parties have agreed on a draft constitution, which has been circulated to their respective leaders, but have not reached an agreement on electoral laws, security legislation, media laws or the political climate. Delimitation of constituencies has not yet started and registration of voters is still continuing. The EU is threatening to tighten sanctions over Mugabe’s continuing land seizures, his drive against the media, the judiciary and his supporters’ campaign of violence ahead of the harmonized elections.