2008

Zimbabwe Watch extremely concerned by the abduction of the director of leading human rights organisation in Zimbabwe.In the early morning of the nationwide protest day by the trade union organisation ZCTU, Jestina Mukoko, director of the Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) was abducted. ZimbabweWatch extremely fears for Jestina Mukoko’s safety.

Zimbabwe Watch is deeply disturbed by the outcome of the Southern African heads of state and government meeting of 9 November in Johannesburg. This summit proposed an unworkable “solution” to the current deadlock in Zimbabwe in the form of a rotating responsibility for the ministry of home affairs while not addressing the current humanitarian and human rights crisis nor the fraudulent alteration of the original version of the “Global Political Agreement” between ZanuPF and the MDC’s.

Pursuant to a research,on the positions of the civil society organisations in Zimbabwe on the then ongoing talks, carried out by Zimbabwe Watch and the Europe External Policy Advisors (EEPA), we hereby present a follow up brief.This brief was produced in partnership with the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition and is informed by the positions of Zimbabwe Civil Society organizations after the signing of the deal on 15 September 2008.How do the people of Zimbabwe percieve the the deal?What has changed since the time of the research?Is the deal full of hope or a miscarriage of democracy?

"Zimbabwe Watch verwelkomt de overeenkomst tussen MDC en ZanuPF maar uit het vandaag publiek gemaakte akkoord blijkt dat er weinig garanties en 'checks and balances' voor verandering in de hoogste machtsstructuren en uitvoerende macht staan. Die zullen hard nodig zijn als deze overeenkomst een succes moet worden." Dat zegt Pascal Richard, coördinator Zimbabwe Watch.

Ten Regional heads of state and government from Southern Africa were in Harare on Monday 15 September 2008, to witness the signing of the landmark power sharing deal by Robert Mugabe of ZANU PF, Morgan Tsvangirai of the MDC and Arthur Mutambara of the break away faction of the MDC.

Volgens Zimbabwaanse partnerorganisaties van Zimbabwe Watch wordt het kabinet nog steeds door de president -  Mugabe -  benoemd en moet de premier – Morgan Tsvangirai – verantwoording afleggen aan de president. Er zullen tot 31 ministers komen in een land dat economisch totaal aan de grond zit.

Zimbabwe Watch and Europe External Policy Advisors EEPA published an overview of the positions and recommendations by Zimbabwean Civil Society Organisations on the ongoing negotiations between ZanuPF and the two formations of the MDC.

"When reopening parliament usually a new government is formed and the constitution and powers of that government are the actual issues discussed at the negotiation table." Says Pascal Richard, coordinator of Zimbabwe Watch. "It is not certain yet if a new government will be formed. But the reopening of the parliament can only mean two things: either ZanuPF and Mugabe have no interest at all in the negotiations, or they, together with the South African president Mbeki, who is acting in the name of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) want to force Morgan Tsvangirai to sign a deal which does not give him any executive power."

While the world watches as Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai discuss power sharing in Zimbabwe, millions of Zimbabweans wait for humanitarian aid and a stop to political violence.

According to Elinor Sisulu from the ‘Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition’, a coalition of 350 NGO’s in Zimbabwe “It seems that we are going to have a deal for the politicians and not for ordinary people. I am suspicious of these hole in the corner discussions that exclude the millions whose lives will be profoundly impacted on by the decisions made. The situation on the ground has not improved and our offices continue to be raided and Crisis officials harassed by the police. Humanitarian aid to many areas of the country is still blocked. Our skepticism will remain until the situation on the ground changes.”

Zimbabwe Watch welcomes the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Zimbabwe African National Union Zanu PF and the two formations of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) on July 21st. Zimbabwe Watch calls on Zanu PF to undertake immediate actions to halt the human rights abuses and allow humanitarian and other organisations to operate freely. The spirit of this memorandum must be translated into practice.