Grey Freight Continental

Grey Freight Continental

Freight and custom clearance services locally, regionally and internationally. We offer freight services at strategic Southern African ports and borders.

Open
HomeGeneral

Zimbabwe "Close" To Rejoining Commonwealth

4 months agoThu, 21 Nov 2024 14:30:51 GMT
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedIn
Zimbabwe "Close" To Rejoining Commonwealth

Commonwealth leaders are moving forward with efforts to bring Zimbabwe back into the organization, despite concerns raised by a recent election report.

A confidential report by Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland suggests that Zimbabwe has made “remarkable democratic progress” and would “flourish again” if readmitted to the Commonwealth.

The 52-page report, seen by The Globe and Mail, acknowledges ongoing challenges in Zimbabwe, such as political prisoners, repression of civil society, and restrictions on political activity, but maintains that readmission could help improve the country’s democratic processes.

Commonwealth members, including Canada, are facing a deadline of November 26 to submit their views on Zimbabwe’s readmission. If there are no objections, Zimbabwe could be invited to formally apply for re-admission.

However, a separate report by Commonwealth election observers casts doubt on the credibility of Zimbabwe’s 2023 election. The 108-page report, completed in early 2024, highlights serious deficiencies in the election, including biased media coverage, lack of electoral reforms, and issues with political party registration and campaign finance.

Click here: Pindula WhatsApp Channel
wa.me/channel/0029Vb4GVea90x2nCSDImS1b

 

The observer group could not endorse the election, citing significant issues that “severely affect” the credibility of the vote. The report concludes that the government has not demonstrated sufficient commitment to democratic reforms.

The election report was not publicly available for much of 2024 and is still not listed on the Commonwealth Secretariat’s website, although it can be accessed upon request.

Zimbabwe was suspended from the Commonwealth in 2002 due to widespread criticism of its land reform policies, rigged elections, and human rights abuses. In response, then-President Robert Mugabe withdrew the country from the organisation.

After taking office in 2017 following a military coup, Emmerson Mnangagwa announced in 2018 that Zimbabwe would seek re-admission to the Commonwealth as part of a broader strategy to secure foreign investment and international loans.

Mnangagwa’s government won the disputed 2018 and 2023 elections, but both elections were marred by allegations of irregularities, voter manipulation, and intimidation, with international observers raising concerns over their credibility.

The Commonwealth promotes values of free and democratic societies, including human rights, the rule of law, and freedom of expression.

Critics argue that the organisation’s credibility is undermined by its decision to admit authoritarian regimes like Rwanda, Gabon, and Togo, which have poor human rights records.

In 2022, the Commonwealth chose Rwanda, a country with a history of imprisoning and killing dissidents, as the host for its heads of government summit, raising further questions about the organisation’s commitment to democratic values.

Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), strongly opposes the country’s bid to rejoin the Commonwealth.

Spokesperson Promise Mkwananzi argues that Zimbabwe’s record of election manipulation, voter intimidation, corruption, and attacks on opposition figures disqualifies it from re-admission.

While most African countries support Zimbabwe’s readmission, some Commonwealth members, particularly from the UK, argue that Zimbabwe is not yet ready to return due to ongoing democratic deficits and human rights concerns.

Jonny Oates, a British Liberal Democrat politician and member of the House of Lords, said it was concerning that the Commonwealth would consider readmitting Zimbabwe while many opposition supporters remain imprisoned. He posted on X:

It’s concerning that The Commonwealth is proposing readmission of Zimbabwe when Jameson Timba and many other opposition supporters remain in prison and as far as I can see it still has not published the full report of the Commonwealth Observer mission on the 2023 elections.

More: Pindula News

Tags

32 Comments

jivaschihwehwete@gmail.com · 4 months ago
shall remain close and shall not soon be their, itai zvinodiwa.
Elon Musk · 4 months ago
Will it ease load shedding
Zero · 4 months ago
Will it make our ZiG strong
chipoko · 4 months ago
Can the Commonwealth do what the UN has failed to do in Zimbabwe?
Ctrl Alt Del · 4 months ago
Common sense should prevail
Mafirakureva · 4 months ago
cheyameni we sadhiki
👍 · 4 months ago
on my own the commonwealth members could come and make a rally w Zimbabweans and ask them are you free and myself I will say it all
Mp · 4 months ago
condition of being in common wealth 1 no scarf 2no zanupf
nature · 4 months ago
Atikurambidzei kusapota mapato enyu bt real life apana arikuda kutongwa nemhondi ,,, hongu mungafarire kupihwa makepesi ne hupfu bt dzamisai pfungwa musaite sevanhu vakadhakwa
🧐 🤔 🤨 🤪 · 4 months ago
Ma opposition emuno panechino lacker mu brain, it's something naturally engrossed with negativity and from reportage of any article you can tell that report iyi ndeye munhu ari opposition, it's not for everyone who to find out and make a choice but a smear 💩 politicity If you watch other reports they give a neutral view point nonaligned but our media very bad in that they pick and dwell immensely on opposition
Yoyoyo · 4 months ago
😁😁KANA UKAROTA NYIKA INO ISINGA TONGWE NE ZANU PF MUKA UBIKE DORO!!! BIKA DORO UTI MUDZIMU MAKUNDORASHAA MUSANDIPE HOPE DZAKADAI. 🧱 UPON 🧱 HALLELUJAH!!!!
,,,, dott · 4 months ago
Pfeeee pacommon wealth ipapo
@Man to Man · 4 months ago
zanu pf pfeee
Jacaranda avenue · 4 months ago
@Patz 20 yrs again it's too much for us kkkkkk well said.
Patz · 4 months ago
Yaa very close only 20 yrs left
Hombre · 4 months ago
Commonwealth or not, this regime is brutal, murderous, corrupt, dictatorial and kleptocratic. It will never be stable as long as it's not endorsed by its own people. It's a darling of the ANC (SA), BDP and FRELIMO, but that has not helped matters at home. It can be a member of the British Commonwealth 100x over, but it remains an enemy of the people of Zimbabwe. That will not stop people's power in good time. It will always be afraid of its people's next move.
Citizen · 4 months ago
IZanu here irikuchemera varungu maBritish kudaro? Revolutionary sovereign country? 🤣🤣
Buwada Buwada · 4 months ago
Looking East while heading West. Zvobuda here izvi?? 🤣🤣
Mp · 4 months ago
kkkk pasi ne Britain pasi nemhandu. masikati wusiku we love you Britain
Jacaranda avenue · 4 months ago
Zimbabwe (close) to rejoining common wealth ayisati yapinda asi yaa pedyo kupinda zvinhu zvikafamba zvakanaka
Mp · 4 months ago
kwaah kwaah kwaah may be year 2100
mambo · 4 months ago
hapana zvirikutaurwa apo
1000million · 4 months ago
ingori nyaya yekt vanhu waneta ne zanu pf,,, soo all the problems zvakungonzi opposition ndiyo manake bt tongona kuzotodzokera kumas**** kuita Kwame kuruma or idi amin problems,,, i see a chance tambopihwa set in common wealth
Jacaranda avenue · 4 months ago
ukaita mari yako unongoonekwa ne body chete munhu anetunhu twake isu varombo kusara mabhonzo stress yekushayiwa pekutangira makseni zvakandiomera
Jacaranda avenue · 4 months ago
yes you are telling the truth
12345 · 4 months ago
So near but yet so far. Actually joining and being near are two totally different things.
Jacaranda avenue · 4 months ago
pic manyama
Jacaranda avenue · 4 months ago
our big wig is happy
Anonymous · 4 months ago
Kkkk the biggest undoing for Zimbabwe opposition personalities is this continuous lack of learning HH made impact because he showed Zambians that yes problems are there but none but only Zambians will solve them just yesterday Boko showed the same, there's no perfect country, previous regime went against passports but Boko wet yake isati yasvika ku sceptic tank wants to go further by giving permits, my take is we pretend too much

Leave a Comment


Generate a Whatsapp Message

Buy Phones on Credit.

More Deals
Feedback