HARARE – Prominent human rights lawyer Advocate Thabani Mpofu has written to Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders advising them to formally condemn the controversial remarks made by Lt. General Anselem Sanyatwe, Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army about the role of the military in elections.
General Sanyatwe, in June, claimed that the military would utilise “command voting” in elections and that the ruling Zanu-PF party would maintain power indefinitely, stating they would “rule forever.”
He further declared that the party would rule the country ‘till donkeys grow horns’.
“Zanu-PF shall rule until donkeys grow horns, whatever your stated and expressed wishes. I am now speaking as the Commander of the Army.
“We shall use what is called Command Voting… Do we understand each other? Forward with Zanu-PF, …..Forward with ED Mnangagwa. Down with the enemy,” he said.
Initially, Mpofu wrote to Sanyatwe asking him to withdraw his “unconstitutional” utterances. But the army leader did not respond.
The lawyer went on to engage the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) Chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba urging her to condemn Sanyatwe’s statement. But the election management body said it had no jurisdiction to do that.
Mpofu has now decided to take the matter to the regional bloc.
In his letter, dated August 1, 2024, Mpofu has implored SADC to pressure President Emmerson Mnangagwa to provide a credible guarantee that Zimbabwe’s electoral processes will be demilitarised and that concrete measures will be implemented to respect the will of the Zimbabwean people.
“Utterances of this kind, strip us of our dignity, reduce us to contempt, deprive us of our basic rights, are insulting and must justifiably be considered provocative and are for that reason a threat to national peace.
“Further, this blatant disregard for the will of the people of Zimbabwe can only erode the legitimacy of an already undermined electoral process and has the effect of threatening the stability not just of our nation but of the sub-region.
“In addition, it is a signal breach of Articles 4(c), 5(1)(b) and (c) and 6(4) of the SADC Treaty,” Mpofu said in the letter.
“The bottom line is that the utterances remain on record without condemnation and are as you are aware, a repeat of what Lt General Vitalis Zvinavashe said two decades ago. I am worried that this seems to be the official position of the principals of our Army.
“Neither has Mr Mnangagwa taken any action against his errant General for the unconstitutional remarks made in his name and for his direct benefit.”
Mpofu has asked SADC to reprimand Mnangagwa by ensuring that Zimbabwe’s “electoral processes will be demilitarised”.
“I ask whether you may: Extract from your colleague, Mr Mnangagwa a credible assurance that Zimbabwe’s electoral processes will be demilitarized and that concrete steps will be taken to respect the will of the people of Zimbabwe.
“This has not happened in our country since 1980, a taint that does not attach to your respective countries and their processes.
“Offer support for the democratization of Zimbabwe’s political processes which includes but is not limited to the unconditional release of Jameson Timba together with the Avondale 78, who are currently imprisoned.
“Find out what action your colleague, Mr Mnangagwa, will take against his errant General,” Mpofu added.
SADC is receiving this information a few weeks before the organisation’s 44th Ordinary Summit, which will be held in Harare on August 17, 2024, where Zimbabwe will assume the rotating chairmanship of the regional body from Angola.
Preceding events include the 7th SADC Industrialisation week, which has already started, senior officials and finance committee meetings, and a SADC council of ministers meeting.
