The petition was sent this week to the SADC regional headquarters
secretariat in Botswana by the Johannesburg-based Zimbabwe Diaspora
Civic Society Organisations (CSOs) leadership based in South Africa.
In an exclusive interview on Thursday, the Zimbabwe Diaspora CSOs Forum
Treasurer-General, Luke Zunga, said millions of
undocumented and displaced Zimbabweans were urgently seeking refuge
within the SADC grouping member states’ territories, until the
political crisis in the Southern African nation had been resolved.
More than 60 percent of Zimbabweans displaced as a result of political
and economic meltdown in their country are undocumented and have no
status.
They are subjected to chronic arrests, detention, deportations and
unprecedented
humiliation within all these SADC countries.
“They are deported back to a hegemonic dictatorship which has
consistently committed human rights abuses on its citizens amid
hunger and joblessness. The Forum await to hear from SADC, who are so
far quiet, while people are suffering,” said Zunga.
The Forum insisted that they were not Jews in Mecca, but SADC citizens
in SADC, and Africans in Africa arguing that the organisation would
appreciate any negotiations that are aimed at finding some long
lasting solutions to both the socio-economic and political crises
besieging Zimbabwe.
Speaking at the same ocassion, the Forum’s Co-ordinator, Norah Tapiwa,
said the Diaspora was lumped under MDC, the reason being the terms of
reference structured by SADC and that during South Africa’s CODESA
civil societies were included under the ANC.
“There are millions of Zimbabweans in the Diaspora, who are here
because of situations beyond their control, and not because they
subscribe to the MDC. This lumping is not desirable. The SADC
communiqué for SADC ministers of finance to work out an economic
package for Zimbabwe is merely to close the meeting.
“The cue comes from South Africa Minister of Finance, Trevor Emmanuel,
who said the options for Zimbabwe were spelt to them, and is up to
Zimbabwe. We cannot see SADC raising a minimum of US$10 billion
required for Zimbabwe to move out of recession.
“None of these initiatives are mobilizing or involving the totality of
the citizens or the Diaspora in particular. The core issue of a
President controlling an un-audited budget used to pay salaries of
thousands of political executioners and vigilantes in the rural and
urban areas is neither affected by the negotiations nor authorized by
the current constitution. On this approach these initiatives fall
short and Zimbabwe will remain in limbo,” said Tapiwa.
She said the petition to the SADC secretariat in Botswana was their
humble approach for refugee and support.
She added: “In return the Diaspora will provide financial assistance
to all permit holders so that they engage in viable economic
activities and provide a platform for the development of Zimbabwe as
well as raising billions, over time, to finance reconstruction of
Zimbabwe. The Forum wants to be involved in the process of
documentation to reduce costs.”
Tapiwa said if the SADC secretariat ignored or refused their request,
then their last option would be approaching an international court of
justice with all the evidence of human rights atrocities and abuse of
Zimbabweans in SADC. – Own correspondent
Post published in: News