Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Harare (Agenzia Fides) - The crisis in Zimbabwe worsens and the 14 countries that form part of the South African Development Community (SADC) are holding an extraordinary Summit meeting in Lusaka in order to find a common policy in solving the situation that has become a threat to the entire region.
The Summit, which has been called by the Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa, head of the SADC, will take place on April 12 in Zambia’s capital, Luzaca. “Due to the worsening situation in Zimbabwe, I believe that the question should be addressed by the Heads of State,” Mwanawasa stated. The Zambian president recently took distance from the favorable attitude maintained by the other African countries towards the Mugabe regime, defending Zimbabwe as “a sinking Titanic.” According to experts on African affairs, there is a change being perceived among the southern African nations regarding Mugabe’s policies. His political stance is referred to as “passive diplomacy,” characterized by complaints that are just now surfacing, in opposition to a man who is still well-respected in Africa for his anti-colonial fight and it is a position that is explained by the, up until now, vain search for an agreement between the majority and the opposition. This position has, until now, been maintained especially by South Africa’s President Thabo Mbeki, who has continued to support Mugabe. His successor as guide of the African National Congress (ANC, a government party) and probably the new President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, however, has adopted a negative stance in regards to Mugabe (see Fides 8/4/2008). Zuma has criticized the fact that election results from March 29 have not been posted, saying, “I believe that the electoral committee of Zimbabwe should now announce the results.” The local magistrate has declared that to place pressure on the Electoral Committee is “a dangerous strategy.”
The fact that the election results continue to remain a mystery is worrisome for the opposition, who denounce the regime’s intimidation tactics. Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the main opposition party (Movement for Democratic Change - MDC) accused President Mugabe of performing a “de facto military coups” with the deployment of the military soldiers throughout the country, in anticipation for a probable turn-around in presidential elections. “It has been a tactic used to intimidate the people before voting,” said Tsvangirai, who is now on a regional tour to ask for intervention from neighboring countries. After travelling to South Africa, where he met with Zuma, he continued on to Botswana, Zambia, and Mozambique.
The differences between the government and the opposition have even seen the use of false documents, for example a supposed memo from high-ranking members of the MDC on the means of tampering with the elections, which was published in some Zimbabwean newspapers. The authenticity of the document, however, was dismissed by the party’s leaders, who claimed that it was a manipulation made by the regime. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 10/4/2008; righe 38, parole 477)
