DA pressure Zuma to act on Zim

South Africa’s opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) has urged President Zuma’s facilitation team on Zimbabwe to put their roadmap top of the GPA talks agenda.

Below is their statement on the matter.

The DA welcomes President Zuma’s announcement that he has constituted a facilitation support team tasked with evaluating the negotiation process currently under way between the signatories to the Global Political Agreement (GPA).

While it appears this latest action by the President seems to suggest that he is stepping out of the shadows of former President Thabo Mbeki and the policy of silent diplomacy he adopted while acting as a mediator in Zimbabwe it is vital that this facilitation team produces outcomes.

Recent reports from Zimbabwe have revealed that both the MDC and Zanu PF have failed to make any headway in sorting out their differences by the first 15 day deadline set by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Troika on 5 November. 

It is clear that urgent action needs to be taken if parties in Zimbabwe are to meet the 30 day deadline on 6 December. The DA believes it is imperative that the President and his facilitation team, lead by Zuma’s political adviser Charles Nqakula takes the lead in the current negotiation process underway between Zanu PF and the MDC and uses these negotiations as an opportunity to put the DA’s ‘roadmap to democracy in Zimbabwe’ on the table and to get all participating parties in the GPA to agree to the first step contained in our roadmap which is to hold fresh elections closely monitored by the international and regional community.

We submitted our roadmap to President Zuma on 23 October and we will also be submitting our roadmap to Charles Nqakula. 

 A copy of our roadmap follows below. 

While President Zuma’s constitution of a facilitation support team appears to be a step in the right direction the fact that during his term as chair of SADC, he failed to take any concrete action against political parties in Zimbabwe cannot be overlooked.

As head of SADC Zuma was in the best position to take a tougher stance on Robert Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party and enforce adherence to the agreements signed in the GPA. Stronger action on the part of President Zuma during his term as SADC chair could have prevented the current political impasse in Zimbabwe. 

Jacob Zuma

President Zuma was provided a second opportunity to show how truly committed he is to finding a democratic solution in Zimbabwe when he was mandated by the SADC Troika on 5 December to facilitate dialogue between political parties in the country. 

Both Zanu-PF and the MDC have been dragging their feet when it comes to adhering to the deadlines set by the SADC Troika and it is clear that the GPA is failing in delivering on its mandate. It is therefore essential that the President’s facilitation team uses this opportunity to adopt a new, objective concrete plan of action to bring about real change in Zimbabwe, namely our roadmap. 

While the establishment of this task team suggests that President Zuma is committed to finding a solution to the crisis in Zimbabwe this task team needs to produce outcomes.

The President must ensure that the facilitation team follows through with real action, that it remains firm in its dealings with both the Zanu PF and the MDC during negotiations in the upcoming weeks and that it calls on SADC to move away from its previous policy of appeasement and starts using the mechanisms at its disposal to make sure all parties in Zimbabwe uphold their commitments when it comes to establishing a legitimate democracy in the country.

 Four steps of our roadmap

What follows is a short summary of the four steps that must be taken in order to bring the purpose of our roadmap to fruition. 

Step One: An agreement to hold fresh elections 

There must be an agreement between all political parties in Zimbabwe to hold fresh elections. These elections must be legitimate, free and fair. They must be for the establishment of an interim government, the purpose of which is to negotiate a new constitution. 

The unity government created by the Global Political Agreement (GPA) is the best mechanism to facilitate this agreement. Its structure is already in place and it can provide a suitable platform for talks and mediation between political parties so that they can reach an agreement to hold fresh elections. 

A timetable for these elections, and the process for the establishment of an interim government and the subsequent drafting of a new constitution, must be established. 

It must allow for the establishment of an election fund and the placement of independent party monitors. 

Any party must be allowed to participate in the elections. 

A condition of the fresh elections must be that Robert Mugabe not stand for re-election. An exit strategy must be put in place that offers impunity from arrest and from being convicted for any crimes of which he might be guilty. 

The agreement must stipulate that the elections be overseen by the UN, working together with regional and international stakeholders. 

These international and regional monitors must ensure that the elections are free and fair, that no harassment or intimidation of voters occurs, that there is no result rigging and finally that these results, if accepted by independent observers as legitimate, are accepted and respected by all participating parties. 

Step Two: Formation of an interim government 

Once free and fair elections have taken place, an interim government must be set up, based on the results of these elections, whose main purpose will be to draft a new constitution for Zimbabwe. 

It is essential that clear targets as well as negotiating structures are established for this interim government in order to keep the drafting process on track. 

Timelines must be set to which all parties within the interim government must strictly adhere. These timelines must be monitored by the UN, working together with the regional and international community. The timeline must stipulate the consequences that will follow, should it not be adhered to. 

In preparing the ground for negotiations, the draconian laws of the past decades that have frustrated free and open dialogue should be repealed.

Furthermore, the international community and more importantly the AU and SADC must play a central role when it comes to facilitating this negotiation process and putting the necessary pressure on political parties within the interim government to come to an agreement and not undermine this negotiation process by refusing to make the necessary concessions. 

Step Three: The formation of a new constitution 

The interim government must agree to a new constitution for Zimbabwe. 

The new constitution must provide for an accountable and multi-party democratic dispensation; respect for the rule of law; respect for the independence of other democratic institutions; and the promotion and protection of the fundamental human rights of all Zimbabweans. 

In addition, the constitutional negotiators must consult widely with civil society so that once the constitution is ratified it is “owned” by the Zimbabwean people. 

The international and regional community must be encouraged and “available” to provide any assistance necessary to this process as and when required. 

Step Four: Democratic elections 

Following the ratification of the new constitution, elections must be held to elect a new multi-party government for Zimbabwe that is deferential to this constitution and ensures that every provision contained in it is respected, promoted and protected at all times. 

This new democratically elected government must ensure that all government structures and democratic institutions are setup to bring about political and economic stability as well as democratic consolidation. 

A five-year election cycle must be put in place to ensure a fully functioning, effective democracy that ensures that the government in Zimbabwe is held accountable through regular elections. 

These elections must be held under the authority of an Independent Electoral Commission and must be monitored by the international and regional community to ensure they are free and fair, that the results are adhered to and respected by all political parties and that any transitions occur smoothly.

Issued by the Democratic Alliance in South Africa

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