Ditshwanelo

BOCISCOZ PETITION TO HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT LIEUTENANT GENERAL SERETSE KHAMA IAN KHAMA
Presented by The Botswana Civil Society Solidarity Coalition on Zimbabwe (BOCISCOZ)

Since our first petition to The Government of Botswana on 20 July 2006, our neighbours in Zimbabwe have been continuing to live in a state of political, social, economic and humanitarian crisis.

Freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of association are systematically denied to the citizens of Zimbabwe. These have been exacerbated by the developments following the harmonised 29 March 2008 elections. The electoral impasse and widespread systematic violence aimed at civil society activists, ordinary villagers, community leaders, lawyers, teachers, youth and electoral polling agents, officials and observers, have led to the undermining of the will of the people, as expressed on 29 March 2008.

The prospects for peaceful, free and fair Presidential run-off elections have unfortunately been seriously compromised by these events.

Zimbabwe is currently experiencing massive economic decline, characterised by hyper-inflation, unemployment, food insecurity, collapsing education and health services, and a looming humanitarian catastrophe. Life expectancy is currently at 31 years of age for women and 35 years of age for men. The consequences of the severe socio-political and economic decline include internal forced relocations and widespread displacement into the region. Currently it is estimated that there are approximately 4 million Zimbabwean citizens outside Zimbabwe – the majority of whom are located in the SADC region.

We, BOCISCOZ believe that the people of Zimbabwe have the capacity and will to peacefully resolve the crisis in Zimbabwe. We agree with the call to encourage Zimbabweans in the region to go and express their will through the ballot.

Ensure that SADC, working together with the African Union, guarantees the safety, security and credibility of the electoral process through active and effective monitoring and observation of the Presidential run-off elections of 27 June 2008. There is need for sufficient SADC presence including that of the SADC Parliamentary Forum, SADC Electoral Commissioners’ Forum, and other credible electoral bodies before, during and after the elections, to ensure confidence and legitimacy in the electoral process.
Act in conformity with Article 4 of the Constitutive Act of the African Union which relates to the ‘responsibility to protect’. Where a government does not protect its citizens, the African Union can act to ensure protection as we believe that crimes against humanity are currently being committed in Zimbabwe.
Use its moral leadership to call for the immediate cessation of all forms of politically motivated violence in Zimbabwe.
Continue to encourage the spirit of ‘botho’ amongst Batswana. Xenophobia is totally unacceptable in a functioning democracy.
Ensure that the SADC mediation process, which has lost credibility, be reformulated for the benefit of the people of Zimbabwe. There must be:

publicly stated benchmarks and standards in keeping with ensuring free and fair elections on 27 June 2008;
immediate release of election results following the elections to avoid the electoral impasse which ensued following the harmonised elections of March 2008;
and the peaceful realisation of the will of the people as expressed through the election results.