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SADC Summit Venue Must Be Changed From Zimbabwe, Says SA's Democratic Alliance

8 months agoSat, 03 Aug 2024 07:04:51 GMT

SADC Summit Venue Must Be Changed From Zimbabwe, Says SA's Democratic Alliance

South Africa’s main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), has urged the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to move its 44th Summit from Zimbabwe.

The DA, which is part of South Africa’s coalition government, made this call following the Zimbabwean government’s intensified crackdown on democracy activists.

In a statement issued on Friday, 02 August, the DA’s spokesperson on International Relations and Cooperation, Emma Louise Powell MP, condemned the ZANU-PF government’s repression of civil society.

She argued that hosting the SADC Summit in Zimbabwe would be inappropriate given the country’s deteriorating human rights situation. Said Powell:

The Democratic Alliance calls on the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, to exercise South Africa’s right as a member of SADC and urgently demand that the 44th Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government – scheduled to be held on 17 August 2024 in Harare, Zimbabwe, be moved to a different location.
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The DA makes this call following multiple reports of yet another state-sponsored clampdown on pro-democracy activists by a paranoid ZANU-PF regime, fearing public protests in the lead-up to the summit.
The SADC’s founding treaty mandates member states to act in accordance with the principles of “human rights, democracy and the rule of law.”
ZANU-PF illegitimate regime in Harare has yet again violated these principles with impunity in the lead-up to the summit.

Powell cited recent examples of the Zimbabwean government’s crackdown on opposition and civil society.

This includes the detention of CCC faction leader Jameson Timba and 77 other opposition activists since 16 June, who were charged with holding an “unauthorised political meeting”.

Powell also pointed to the arrest of four democracy activists who were removed from a plane at Robert Mugabe International Airport and charged with disorderly conduct. She said:

By abusing state machinery to violate the rights of Zimbabweans, the unrepentant ZANU-PF regime has demonstrated that it is prepared to go to any lengths to violate the law in order to entrench its authoritarian rule. South Africa, and by extension the SADC, have an obligation to hold the Zimbabwean government to account.
Allowing the summit to proceed under the current circumstances will not only endorse ZANU-PF’s flagrant abuse of international law but further undermine the principles upon which SADC was established.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s upcoming SADC Chairmanship is a testament to the continued failure of regional leaders to hold these political thugs to account.
South Africa, as a leading member of SADC, must now take a firm stand to uphold international law and advocate for the summit to be moved to a location that upholds and respects democratic values.
This action would send a clear message that South Africa, as a member of the SADC, will no longer tolerate the suppression of democratic freedoms on our doorstep.

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55 Comments

Joza · 8 months ago

The SADC has let us down. Let them know that we now identify them with our enemies because they perpetuate and protect our persecution by Zanu Pf. Nothing stops us from denouncing them.

patz · 8 months ago

South Africa no longer has a ruling party. A ruling party is one which enjoys majority in parliament and form a gvt on its own. So to say DA is the main opposition is ill-placed as the term opposition party refers to a party opposing the ruling party. If we are to refer to a party being opposition then ANC is an opposition party as well not a ruling party.

Jk · 8 months ago

The DA is no longer an opposition party as it is now in government, the MK party is now SA's largest opposition party

🧐 🤔 🤨 🙄 🤪 · 8 months ago

It depends nebumbiro ravaka sayinirana pasi but MasGogo Rama has a final say kwete tweet, that's the same as polad muno infact polad I way much better as I see it cause in the dialogue conferencing you table thoughts and reach conclusions unlike a coalition is merely grafting but Hezvo Schrebor has other ideas on immigrants that are far more devious than Gukura border jumpers than the previous Ramas administration

WV · 8 months ago

This DA party must shut up. It is not South Africa. The Summit will go ahead in Zimbabwe as scheduled.

🧐 🤔 🤨 🙄 🤪 · 8 months ago

Zvinoitwa ne opposition zvinondipa manyemwe, Since when has the opposition ideas taken into consideration by any ruling party world over, apa infact opposition injection is actually endorsing, and closing shut the case, Regai Ed ati vanongo vukura and like an elephant we cannot stopped nekuti kutu ahukura

K · 8 months ago

DA is also a ruling party you dunderhead, government collapses without it

🧐 🤔 🤨 🙄 🤪 · 8 months ago

Haina input inopfura Rama iwe katoto

🧐 🤔 🤨 🙄 🤪 · 8 months ago

Even baba, samusha havatore ma ideas from a Tennant kana roja it's basically a taboo

Corruptmore Looto · 8 months ago

Comparison yako hainyotsoita bcs landlord haana basa naTennat anongoti enda kasi imba ichisara manje apa ANC haina freedom iyoyo bcs imba yacho inobva yaparara. Munenge makutoda kutangidza kuvaka apa the likes of the EFF vanewo maDemand avo ekupenga

Mhofu · 8 months ago

That **** DA white representative is not on invited list, saka haana kana basa. During apartheid when blacks were killed and oppressed she said nothing. I**** murungu uyu.

Corruptmore Looto · 8 months ago

MusaComment kana musina information papa, mukadzi uyu anga ari active against apartheid. She engaged in underground activism as well as smuggling in banned materials for banned anti apartheid parties. She did more than you ever did to help fight against it

Mutundo · 8 months ago

During cde mugabe 's reign , he once been a chairmam of this organ , why didnt he make such noises that Dambudzo is making ! As if is a qualification to be the head of this organ ! I sugggest that the chair should be voted for , he will lose !

Anonymous · 8 months ago

This DA forgets that it a political party in SA and not Zim . Please deal with your SA citizens whom you are supplying with sewage smelling water .

Corruptmore Looto · 8 months ago

As if water in Harare is any better

44yrs · 8 months ago

Sadhaki samiti iyi yationesa zvitsva muno ndpana hangu kutenda

Political Police · 8 months ago

One voice of a sound political mind from one of the principal parties governing South Africa has spoken. We are on the track. According to plan many are yet to speak but they will soon. Now is the time. THE ARRESTOR WILL BE ARRESTED!!!

IGWEEEE · 8 months ago

SADC should address all the issues affecting Zimbabwean citizens and not just to come and support their dictatorship noooo as Zimbabweans we need free Zimbabwe free living.We have so many precious resources but only those who are on top are benefiting and the rest we are suffering, we are crying for our rights our land and free democracy.Sadc we expect that you shall adress rigging of votes for 2023 August pple are arrested, tortured,abducted and killed at every constituency because the top officials they do not want righteousness,they only want themselves waffling things are useless

Dhadza · 8 months ago

2023 elction yakadarika hapana chichataurwa paye.

Corruptmore Looto · 8 months ago

Mirai muone chete muchasara mega matsaga eZanu. First it was Zambia, then South Africa although not entirely but in their next election the ANC is going to suffer further leading to other parties grabbing the bigger share of the pie. Namibia also doesn't cheat on elections, so soon or later their ruling party will also be defeated. Botswana isn't too keen on supporting Zanu either, Mozambique will be forced to follow suit because it isn't that powerful a threat of sanctions will wip them into the line. MaBorder iwawo akavharwa ndopamuona kuti hamuna kungarwa, fuel inoswera yapera within a week vapfana. The region is changing politically so watch out and we just need South Africa to change chete and the rest will follow suit, havomboti bufu kune SA

Chibaba · 8 months ago

DA yauya nepfungwa dzakanaka tingapera tese kuurayiwa nemhondi dze ZANU PF because someone wants to remain in power.

👀👀 · 8 months ago

Zanu pf has tarnished its own image ,mukatarisa mhosva dzacho dzirikusungirwavarikunzi ma activists unoona kt hapana some ckear stories,nyaya dzacho ndoodzazara ku social media and zvichitaurwa nepasipo sometimes,so kana vakachena vasina mhosva neruzhinji rweZim varikutyei

theLastAntKing · 8 months ago

Yes, we'll, Zimbabwe was prepared to host the sadc event. The state of preparedness is well advanced with upgrade of major routes that lead to the venue. A well done to zim government. The news about rights defenders being incarcerated is the ONLY WORRISOME event that doesn't need to be associated with sadc meeting. In a free democratic country, people must be allowed to air their grievances freely and peaceful. Now that ANC is in a GNU setup with a party that applauds transparency & democracy, its leaders are feeling the heat 🔥. As a government DA is now making them see ( ANC) their incompetence & brotherhood with Zanu that has led to a dwindling of democratic space in neighbouring Zimbabwe. It affects them & rest of the region economically. NOW THEY ARE SPEAKING LOUDLY. Their other brother in Botswana denied a PASSPORT FREE ENTRY DEAL WITH ZIMBABWE. Something that are leader had already broadcast. One day you be left alone...let the rights of the people prevail as outlined in Zim constitution

...,. · 8 months ago

all the messages is due to thabo mbeki's stifling of election results and the forming of an unnecessary gnu in zimbabwe

Unknown mass · 8 months ago

It's coming of age clearer now that these demos are foreign to real Zimbabweans, you tell me there is famine the whole region SADC block to be precise, and having leaders converting in one country to work out mitigation measures to deal with such disasters and avert further misfortune in the near future, they we have the energy doped activism hysteresisically clammering against such meetings, You can not grow anything if you don't prepare your fields, and since last summit it was known that SADC was home coming and ED carefree prepared his fields and on the dead hour some weavils emerge trying to see that no harvest on the this summit, well, it's too very late now, if you allow yourselves to use this trend to raise grievances I order to get attention, let me warn you, THE WORLD NOW IS IN TURMOIL, THERE IS RUSSIA UKRAINE DISPUTE, ISRAEL, LEBANON IRAN cold war, US in election mode, and mind you in war torn countries are refugees, they need to be fed and sheltered, so where would we Zimbos fit in if the whole wide world is abated with refugeeing, Again the same protesters have called Sadc judiciary as a Toothless bulldog, so then WHAT, why sought it's intervention when you never have retracted statements of demeaning the organ body Apa uku kuzviparira, makes one hate oppositions to the core worse protesters when you know pretty well they won achieve anything BUT TO LOSE RESPECT TO NEIGHBOURS AND EVEN THE WHOLE WORLD, THAT'S SELF DESTRUCTION FOR YOU what then is TOMORROW LIKE

LOOTMORE · 8 months ago

ummm nyorai neShona tinzwanane

Inini · 8 months ago

Uri kuwawata chiyiko iwe. PaPindula hapana free chicken Inn ne Zanu pf regalia. Tibvire kumhepo.

Corruptmore Looto · 8 months ago

Kutopedza nguva uchinyora marara akadai

cute gel · 8 months ago

zanu pf created sadc kupi munenge muchitaura zvamunoziva here

kamukono ketsambarafuta 🤸 · 8 months ago

nemumhanyisiro watirikuita mavendor tonaz moti ichinjiwe venue hiiiweeee azvigone

MuSabatha SDA · 8 months ago

SADC leaders should know that SADC pple and Zimbabweans are not fools. we can not foot the bill and fund a fake summit where real issues affecting the region and member states are not tackled. if sadc leaders are coming here just to sanitize and endorse looting and stealing of national resources then its better they shift their useless summit somewhere else. we cannot host a bunch of useless fake crooks who does not care abt the plight of the masses and the people of the region at large. we expect SADC to act on it's observer mission report and adress the issue of deteriorating democratic space and rule of law in Zimbabwe. the rampant rights abuse and looting of national resources by zanupf should be stopped and condemned forthwith.

IGWEEEE · 8 months ago

Of course it is a ruling party but human rights must not violated.Kutaura kuti baba tasuwawo nyama mwana wakutopinda busy nekuPunishiwa kkkkkk baba mitemo yenyu dai maedzawo kuitarisa hatina rusununguko pamba sevana baba votobata vana vouraya saka kodzero ndedzipi,if SADC sees it necessary to change the venue its good but they must put the issues that are violating humans in Zim

fugu pfeee · 8 months ago

its the political thugs who are abusing their rights, commiting crime is not a right

unru!ÿ....COMMANDER · 8 months ago

veDA vakuda kuita manyemwe manje togona kuvasvikira vakaramba vachienderera tovasvasvanga

· 8 months ago

gumirai paboarder

· 8 months ago

avo vanewo pfuti manj haasi maZimbo amajaira kudzvinyirira

nherera · 8 months ago

wasn't the real deal about this useless body named SATAN DAC

tshaka de Zulu · 8 months ago

DA yakangwara wena , kuda kuswedera pedo neZanu pf uko . DA knows kuti Zanu pf ndomusangano mukuru vemadxisangano muAfrica. So DA kutotorao mukana veSADC kuti vaende pedo neZanu kuitira manxt elections kuSA

Anonymous · 8 months ago

Kkkk da has to be seen feeling for cheap labour get to some kind of close talk with zanu pf with hope to get one two touches of skill on organization, like zanu pf or not sanctions failed to break them anyone who is a serious politician will seek to get a piece of skill on strategy does not matter the way of reaching them

· 8 months ago

Saka kuswedera pedo ne zanu kwacho kwauri kutaura kuri kubuda papi panyaya iyi

patz · 8 months ago

I dont think DA will never want to be nearer Zanu. Mukuru pakutii musangana weZanu pf when its running the worst performing country in the world. I dont think you managed to comprehend the story

Anonymous · 8 months ago

Zanupf created SADC so they are all afraid of Zimbabwe. Any leader who criticize Zimbabwe is fed with poison ask mwanawasas wife

fugu pfeee · 8 months ago

sadc meeds zanu pf more than zanu pf's needs to sadc

Zvomumvura · 8 months ago

Zvandareva zviye lead by example ..........tiri mina Aug mwedzi wemhepo unopiwa kapfuti ukanorova Mai vevanhu tonaz wotanga kuchema futi ngozi yokutevera........ngavachinje shuwa

🏋️ · 8 months ago

hokoyo muchazidambura gumbo se gurwe

· 8 months ago

tsek

freelancer · 8 months ago

hezvo kudh..otaa chete zanu pf .DA zvavazhinhu ,soon Zambia ikupindiraa apo