With a SADC team heading to Zimbabwe Wednesday a leading human rights lawyer said there is a disturbing escalation of conflict and violence in the country.
Recent attacks on MDC activists, both in urban and rural areas, have escalated the tense relations between Morgan Tsvangirai and Robert Mugabe. The human rights defender, who asked not to be named, warned that the country was on the brink of a major catastrophe, which if not addressed ‘immediately and decisively’ would plunge Zimbabwe into a crisis worse that last year’s.
The latest crisis is being covered widely by the region’s media, with newspapers in South Africa and Botswana calling on the SADC bloc to step in and take action without delay. But the African Union Commission chairman said on Tuesday that the AU and SADC will not unnecessarily ‘interfere’ in Zimbabwe’s internal affairs.
African Union Commission chairman Jean Ping
Dr Jean Ping said AU members should be given an opportunity to address domestic problems, before the matter could be tackled at regional and continental level.
But an editorial from a leading South African newspaper, Business Day, said it should be noted that the Zuma administration bears a particular responsibility for what has gone wrong with the power-sharing agreement, and is therefore under a special obligation to take action to resolve the crisis.
The human rights lawyer told SW Radio Africa on Wednesday that ZANU PF was mobilizing thousands of its militias in the countryside and that already these have been unleashed to attack the rural population.
‘This trend indicates that the bloodshed could exceed the levels we’ve previously seen in Zimbabwe, if ZANU PF is not checked. SADC should act fast to ensure the country does not slide back into anarchy,’ the lawyer said.
But he said that SADC is taking a back seat while Zimbabwe is fast hurtling towards the precipice. The SADC team arriving Wednesday is from the less influential SADC Troika and is a very low level team. It comprises three foreign ministers from the organ on Politics, Defence and Security.
‘Their mandate is to assess the situation and report back to the Troika, who will make a decision on what to do next after studying the recommendations.’
‘Those who seek peace and justice must not remain silent in the face of this aggression by Robert Mugabe. We believe that the recent attacks by ZANU PF will not serve the interest of peace and greater humanity in the SADC region,’ he added.
On Wednesday the state media reported that Mugabe may appoint acting ministers in place of officials from Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC, further straining the tense standoff.
The government mouthpiece The Herald newspaper, quoted Information Minister Webster Shamu, saying the MDC boycott was ‘affecting the inclusive government’s work in preparing for a new farming season’. He said the agriculture-related ministries headed by MDC-T appointees are Finance, Economic Planning, Energy and Water Resources, among others.
