The Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) summit has just ended in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with the regional block completely ignoring human rights abuses by the Zimbabwean government, but only finding time to express concern over economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe.
However, while the call is a noble one, concerns have been raised over the region’s failure to denounce human rights abuses by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government.
The just ended summit came soon after the brutal beatings of protestors by the police, not only that, there has been a spat of abductions, torture of human rights activists and members of opposition parties.
In less than a week, about 162 human rights violations were recorded, according the MDC welfare department, videos and pictures of the violations are there for everyone to see, but SADC chose to look to the other side.
The Summit has since declared October 25 as solidarity day against sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the United States of America, the United Kingdom and the European Union.
The regional leaders tasked the secretariat to lobby the African Union (AU), to raise the issue with the United Nations (UN) at the upcoming 74th UN General Assembly in September this year.
A communiqué of the 39th Summit of the Heads of State and Government read on Sunday by the SADC Executive Secretary Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax said.
“Summit noted the adverse impact on the economy of Zimbabwe and the region at large of prolonged economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe and expressed solidarity with Zimbabwe, and called for the immediate lifting of sanctions to facilitate socio-economic recovery in the country.”
But veteran journalist Hopewell Chin’ono said; “Shameless silence on acts of brutal police violence on defenceless citizens including women, makes your organization a laughing stock amongst Zimbabweans of a sane mind.
“Don’t you want us to live in a constitutional society? Why can’t you see our reality?” He asked.
He added that all that is needed for sanctions to be lifted is for Zimbabwe to respect and follow its constitution, as well as implementation of the various reforms in line with democratic ethos.
Prominent political analyst Elder Mabhunu has no kind words for the regional block and calls the current crop of SADC leaders a bunch of clowns.
“These lunatics should learn to tell one another the truth. They should tell Mnangagwa in the face; “Cde ED, if you want sanctions against your country lifted just shun human rights abuses, follow the Constitution, and implement political, media, economic, and various reforms that are in line with the demands of good governance.”
Meanwhile, this is not the first time, that the regional body has remained silence over human rights abuses by Zimbabwe. Not so long ago, the African Union (AU) and SADC came under fire for the same offence.
During the 32nd ordinary session of the AU held in Addis Ababa from 10 to 13 February 2019, the former Organisation of African Union completely ignored the crisis again, despite the meeting happening soon after the killings of civilians by the army and police.
This followed the killing of 12 protesters by the army and police a month before, after a three-day stay-away organised by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) turned violent.
Nearly 80 people sustained serious gunshot wounds.
The world, including the United Nations, also condemned the sad events in Zimbabwe and called on the authorities in Harare to use restraint is responding to protests, but the region remained silent.
As if reading from a script prepared by George Charamba or Nick Mangwana, the then chair Hage Geingob also only called for the removal of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by western nations, claiming these were negatively affecting the economy.
This invited a backlash on the regional grouping with analysts saying both AU and SADC were clearly out of touch with reality.
They said the issues affecting and dragging down Zimbabwe were well known, include massive violation of human rights and extra-judicial killings of citizens, beatings, breaking into homes by the security service, soldiers and police.
Adding that the regional block was losing its purpose and was only seeking to protect one of its own rather than dealing with the fundamental issues affecting the people.
