Opposition MDC Alliance has said it welcomes efforts by the SADC region to address the Zimbabwean crisis. This was after South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed envoys to Zimbabwe to assess reports of human rights violations.
We present the statement in full below.
The MDC Alliance welcomes the efforts by the region to intervene in the deepening governance and human rights crisis in Zimbabwe, particularly by His Excellency, Cyril Ramaphosa, who is the current Chairperson of the African Union. The crisis in Zimbabwe has been characterized by a de facto state of emergency, a crackdown on citizens, abductions, arbitrary arrests of government critics and the political persecution of journalists.
The region must take note of the collapse of the public health system characterised by an ongoing doctors’ and nurses’ strike amidst the Covidl9 pandemic, the economic crisis which has seen hyperinflation exceed 786% and a hunger crisis that has left 7,7 million Zimbabweans food insecure.
The Government in Harare is incapable of resolving these challenges because it lacks legitimacy. We are of the firm view that any solution to the ongoing socio-economic lies in resolving the political crisis and answering the outstanding legitimacy question. The deteriorating plight of the Zimbabwean people means that a political settlement is more urgent than before.
We acknowledge the special envoy that has been deployed by President Cyril Ramaphosa and we will continuously assess the sincerity of all the actors in the process.