PRESS STATEMENT BY THE BOTSWANA CIVIL SOCIETY SOLIDARITY COALITION FOR ZIMBABWE (BOCISCOZ)

BOCISCOZ supports Zimbabwe civil society on withdrawal from run-off processes 27 June 2008

We, The Botswana Civil Society Solidarity Coalition for Zimbabwe (BOCISCOZ), comprising The Botswana Council of Churches (BCC), The Botswana Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (BOCONGO), The Botswana Secondary Teachers Trade Union (BOSETU), DITSHWANELO – The Botswana Centre for Human Rights, The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Botswana Chapter, The Concerned Africans Association (CAA), The People to People Coalition of Zimbabwe (PPCZ), Amnesty International Botswana, The International Socialists Botswana, The Disability HIV/AIDS Trust (DHAT), The Botswana Congress Party (BCP), The Botswana National Front Youth League (BNFYL), The Bible Society of Botswana, Kgolagano Theological College, The Lutheran Church, Tirisanyo Catholic Commission, The Dutch Reformed Church, The Evangelical Fellowship of Botswana, The Kweneng Rural Development Association (KRDA), Lifeline Botswana, The Botswana Community Based Organisations Network (BOCOBONET), The Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV/AIDS (BONELA), The Botswana Unified Local Government Service Association (BULGASA), The Botswana Teachers Union (BTU), Habitat for Humanity Botswana, CORDE, and The Botswana Scouts Association, support the decision of civil society organisations in Zimbabwe not to engage in the Presidential run-off elections which are scheduled for Friday 27 June 2008.

Following the results of the harmonised Presidential, Senatorial, Parliamentary and Council elections held on 29 March 2008, there has been widespread violence and reported serious violations of human rights by militias and politicised security forces. These have included acts of intimidation, arrests, torture and extra-judicial killings of opposition party members, ordinary voters who are believed to have voted for the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), lawyers and civil society activists.

Ms Jenny Williams and Ms Magodonga Mahlangu, both of WOZA (Women of Zimbabwe Arise) were arrested on 28 May 2008 for demonstrating against the political violence in the country. The State appealed their release on bail on the grounds that they were likely to ‘cause violence ahead of the run-off’. They remain in prison. The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN), a network of 38 organisations has decided not to observe these elections. The number of ZESN observers has been reduced from 8 667 during the March 2008 elections to 500 for the run-off elections in June 2008. This was in accordance with an instruction from the Minister of Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Patrick Chinamasa. There are 9 231 polling stations throughout the country. Consequently, the effect of this decision has been to reduce the possibility of transparency and undermines democracy. As at 24 June 2008, there had been no official communication with ZESN concerning the accreditation and deployment processes. Several of ZESN’s observers of the harmonised March 2008 elections have been beaten and displaced.  Through both concern for the safety of its observers and the delay in the accreditation process, ZESN is convinced that it will be unable to effectively discharge its duty of observing the run-off elections.

There is need for urgent action by the SADC Heads of State with the aims of ensuring a cessation of violence; the addressing of the political impasse and averting the serious humanitarian crisis caused by Zimbabwean citizens not having access to food due to the recent suspension of the activities of humanitarian organizations in Zimbabwe. Countries in the SADC region will bear the brunt of this humanitarian crisis, as the flow of economic migrants and asylum seekers from Zimbabwe will greatly increase, as they look for immediate, viable means of survival.

BOCISCOZ notes that at its meeting held on 25 June 2008 in Manzini, Swaziland, the SADC Organ Troika Summit on Politics, Defence and Security observed that ‘holding the election(s) under the current circumstances may undermine the credibility and legitimacy of its outcome’. It therefore ‘appealed to the responsible authorities in Zimbabwe to consider postponing the election to a later date’.

BOCISCOZ supports the right of citizens to participate in democratic processes to select their leaders. We therefore supported the call from Zimbabwean civil society that we facilitate the return of Zimbabweans through our ‘Let’s Go Home and Vote’ campaign. However, BOCISCOZ now believes that it will be impossible for the run-off elections to be held in an environment conducive to ensuring free and fair electoral processes. We therefore call upon the SADC Heads of State to:

Gaborone
26 June 2008