Deploy standing mission in Zim: SADC told

In a briefing paper entitled Zimbabwe: A Way Forward, OSISA urged regional leaders to adopt a new approach on the country that it warned could slide back to violence unless action was taken urgently to put the Harare coalition government back on the tracks. OSISA said Zimbabwes rival political parties on their own cannot oversee implementation of the power-sharing pact or global political agreement (GPA), placing the burden of saving the accord on the SADC (Southern African Development Community) that together with the African Union (AU) is a guarantor of the agreement.

Such a SADC mission would comprise experts and observers while the international community would step in with funds and other support for the mission that will among other things work to ensure that education, health care, water sanitation services and food distribution remain uninterrupted.

Standing presence

OSISA said: A comprehensive, standing presence of SADC and/or the AU be stationed in Zimbabwe until such time as a new constitution has been drafted, that the draft has been submitted to referendum and that free and fair presidential and legislative elections have been held. The coalition government has done well to stabilise Zimbabwes economy and analysts say it remains the most viable option to lift the country out of its multi-faceted crisis.

But skepticism about the durability of the unity government remains high because of incessant squabbling between President Robert Mugabes Zanu (PF) and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirais MDC-T parties the two main pillars of the tripartite administration that accuse each of other of reneging on commitments made under the GPA. The unity government has also failed to step media and democratic reforms, while analysts and human rights groups say hardliner elements in Zanu (PF) and in the military have stepped up political violence and farm invasions in recent weeks.

OSISA said unless SADC leaders moved with speed to halt the military build-up in Zimbabwe the country could be plunged back into the type of political violence that engulfed the nation last year and saw at least 200 MDC supporters murdered and thousands of others displaced from their homes. A fresh outbreak of violence will reverse gains made by the unity government in such important sectors as health and education, OSISA warned. To stop the slide to violence OSISA called for the immediate deployment of a smaller, ad-hoc delegation to monitor and report on incidents of political violence in Zimbabwe.

Colossal failure

Sisonke Msimang, executive director of OSISA, said: Despite the horrific levels of violence in 2008, we know that outside observers acted as a deterrent and saved lives. If there is to be no return to the brutality of 2008, that delegation needs to be put on the ground now. Msimang said inability to change tack by SADC could be a sure recipe for failure, adding: “If the GPA cant be rescued, it will be a colossal failure for SADC.

The OSISA director conceded that the proposals made by his group were ambitious but he said there were many precedents where observer missions were successfully deployed in troubled countries such as the United Nations Observer Mission in South Africa from 1992 to 1994. There was no immediate response from President Robert Mugabes office to OSISAs calls for a standing SADC mission in Harare to monitor the shaky unity government. The veteran leader has in the past scoffed at any suggestions of foreign supervision of Zimbabwes affairs including by African allies.

Mugabe only bowed to SADC pressure to form a unity government with Tsvangirai last February because an inconclusive election last year in which he was defeated by his old foe in the first round ballot had left him exposed and with no legitimate claim to the presidency. There was also no reaction to OSISAs calls from Tsvangirai or Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, who is third signatory to the GPA.

OSISA Recommendations:

(a) That an ad-hoc delegation (sourced from South Africa in support of its mediation role or from SADC or the AU) be deployed with immediate effect to monitor and report on incidents of political violence and intimidation.

(b) That SADC, as guarantor of the Global Political Agreement (and in its absence other regional or international entities), ensure effective implementation of the GPA and a definitive resolution of the outstanding issues as per the SADC communiqu of 26-27 January 2009, and in particular, secure an end to political violence and to partisan use of security forces, the legal system and other state apparatus.

(c) That a comprehensive, standing presence of SADC and/or the AU be stationed in Zimbabwe until such time as a new Constitution has been drafted, that the draft has been submitted to referendum and that free and fair presidential and legislative elections have been held. And that the standing presence be coupled with a pooled fund, supported by the international donor community, overseen by sector experts, to ensure that education, health care, water sanitation services and food distribution remain uninterrupted.