Zuma says NO to early Zimbabwe election

HARARE – Facilitators to Zimbabwe’s political crisis have reaffirmed that Zimbabwe cannot hold free and fair elections without necessary reforms, a development which flies in the face of President Robert Mugabe’s assertion that polls will be held next year.

If the necessary reforms are to be implemented, this will take the whole of next year meaning there is no way elections can be held in 2012. In the past Mugabe has admitted that he has no power to call for elections, a fact confirmed by Sadc negotiators yesterday.

Mugabe, who at 87 years, was endorsed as the Zanu PF candidate in the next elections, told his supporters at the party’s conference in Bulawayo last week that elections will be held next year with or without reforms. But South African President Jacob Zuma’s (pictured left) facilitation team on Tuesday said Sadc’s position on Zimbabwe’s elections was clear — no reforms, no elections.

Zuma’s international relations advisor and spokesperson of the mediation team, Lindiwe Zulu said outstanding issues on Zimbabwe’s unity pact should be finalised first before elections could be called and this includes electoral reforms. “According to a Sadc resolution, elections in Zimbabwe will only be held at a time when the three principals in the unity government have agreed that the ground is clear for free and fair elections,” Zulu said on Tuesday.

Zimbabwe is currently under a Sadc-initiated coalition government between Mugabe’s Zanu PF party and the two MDC formations of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Welshman Ncube. Zulu said as mediators, they cannot stop Mugabe from making political statements about the elections but at the end, it was the Sadc decision that will rule.

“As a facilitator, we cannot stop any party from making political pronouncements. President Jacob Zuma will come to Harare on the invitation of the three principals as soon as they agree on the outstanding issues,” said Zulu. Zulu said the tie between South African’s ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC) and Zanu PF as former liberation parties would not compromise the mediation effort led by Zuma.

“As facilitators, we draw out our mandate from Sadc, not the ANC and the relationship between ANC and Zanu PF as liberation movements has always been there and will not affect us in any way. I think all the parties can agree that we had been very fair as mediators,” said Zulu. Last week, ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said his party was willing to help Mugabe’s Zanu PF party to regain lost ground and win the next elections, despite frequently criticising Mugabe’s iron fisted rule.

“We will send campaign strategy teams to work with you; this will be the best way to celebrate the centenary of the ANC in January 2012. We are willing to assist in coming up with election messages and strategies that would deliver victory,” Mantashe told the Zanu PF’s annual conference in Bulawayo.

Observers fear Mantashe’s statements are set to compromise Zuma – who is both ANC president and Sadc mediator for Zimbabwe. Similarly, former South African President Thabo Mbeki was also been accused of negotiating along Zanu PF lines. But Zulu yesterday allayed the fears.

“The ANC and Zanu PF have always had a relationship and supported each other as former liberation movements and the meeting in Bulawayo was understood in that context. The historical relationship has not stopped. We have been attending Zanu PF meetings in this context of liberation history, and the same with other former liberation movements in the region. But throughout the facilitation process, we have not played a one sided role – without fear and favour,” Zulu said.

“It is about Sadc, through its facilitation team that is led by President Jacob Zuma that we hope to see some reforms in Zimbabwe, a new constitution and a conducive environment for free and fair elections,” she added. She said they had been fair from the very day they were requested by Sadc to mediate in the Zimbabwean political impasse and will remain like that.

The Welshman Ncube-led MDC said it appreciated the mediation role played by the South Africans and described the Zanu PF conference as a “baby shower talk.”

“We hope ANC will teach Zanu PF on how to win an election without rigging or abusing state apparatus. There is need to clear the road to a free and fair election, national healing, electoral, media and constitutional reforms before any election is held Zimbabwe,” said Kurauone Chihwayi, the party spokesperson. South Africa was tasked to mediate to a Sadc initiated political agreement in Zimbabwe in 2009 after a disputed presidential run-off in 2008.

Mugabe contested in a one man election after Tsvangirai pulled out citing violence against his party supporters. The elections were regarded as a sham by the international community, forcing Mugabe into a “marriage of convenience” with the two MDC formations in a transitional period to facilitate reforms ahead of watershed elections. But the reforms are moving at a snail’s pace and the shaky inclusive government could remain for a little bit longer. Daily News