Your Right to Vote Zimbabwe - Page 6

• If Zanu PF retains power through rigging and use of force of arms once again we are asking for the Election Observers to report on what impact the Diaspora Vote would have made in these elections.
• If Zanu PF retains power through rigging and use of arms once again, we are asking for the Election Observers to read their previous reports and what they said about the lack of a diaspora vote. The diaspora vote was deliberately not implemented by Zanu PF , what action will the Election Observers take here .
• If Zanu PF retains power once again through rigging and use of arms, we are asking all the Election Observer Teams to comment upon Zanu PF's promise of 2018 in London, that they would immediately give the Zimbabwean Diaspora the Vote.
• If Zanu PF retains power once again through rigging and use of arms, we would ask all the Election Observers to comment upon Zanu PF's position announced by their interim Publicity and Information Commissar Patrick Chinamasa that “ Zanu PF will would never give the Zimbabwean Diaspora the Vote because their candidate Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zanu PF would lose such an election “. At a later stage Zanu PF said it would never implement the reforms from the last Election Observers Reports because that would be akin to reforming itself out of power.
• The United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva has already convened on Zimbabwe's periodic country report that was damning, with respect to the Zanu PF governments lack of progress on Human Rights. The report also rejected Zanu PF government attempt to link the targeted sanctions and the Zimbabwe Diaspora Vote saying these are separate issues with no bearing upon each other. We ask the Commission to convene again under special sitting and deliberate on the situation in Zimbabwe with respect to these 2023 elections, if once again Zanu PF retains power through rigging and use of armed force.
• If Zanu PF retains power once again through rigging and use of arms, we ask the African Union to comment upon the statements made at The United Nations by Angola and then more recently by Kenya, that African governments brought into power by coups must be suspended from the African Union. Bearing in mind that the current Zimbabwean government came into power through a coup in November 2017. That same government still remains in office and has converted the government into a military government. That same military government stole the 2018 elections resulting in live ammunitions being used on the streets of Harare resulting in the deaths on innocent civilians. These shocking events were captured on social media and broadcast world-wide. An international Commission of Enquiry was set up and it gave its recommendations. The Zanu PF government has not applied those recommendations and no arrests have been made. Such events clearly show the need of a diaspora vote that would reduce the risk of such events happening, just because that Diaspora Vote is there. We would ask all the Elections Observers Teams to comment on this and provide suggestions as a way forward.
• We ask SADC, the African Union, Commonwealth, EC, UN and international organisations to recognise, accept and underscore that the Zimbabwe Judiciary has been captured and corrupted by Zanu PF. That the domestic process of appealing an election result is now completely compromised in Zanu PF's favour. That SADC, the African Union, Commonwealth, EC, UN and international organisations must not be tricked by Zanu PF into believing that there is a normal functioning judicial process in Zimbabwe. That the judiciary has been politically weaponised by Zanu PF. For in 2018 the judges themselves said this, beginning their open letter to Emmerson Mnanagwa “we write this letter with fear and trepidation“. Other individual judges in affidavits said that the judiciary had been politically weaponised. We also note with great concern, reports of judges being given “house loans of USD 400,000 “just before the 2023 elections. We note also that very rarely if ever are such “loans“ ever called up.
• The ordinary people of Zimbabwe have absolutely no confidence at all in the Zimbabwe Election Commission, ZEC. When a people have lost confidence in any commission, for whatever reasons, that commission can no longer function and should close its doors. ZEC has been setup to fail. The Commissioners for this Commission should be independent but they are not. Amongst them we find the members of families from Zanu PF senior members. When the Commissioners were being proposed by the Zanu PF government people raised objections about this very issue but were ignored by Zanu PF. The manner in which ZEC has operated to date shows that ZEC is part of Zanu PF. We are asking the Election Observers, SADC, African Union, Commonwealth, EC, United Nations, individual countries and the international organisations to investigate forensically all of ZEC's work. They will find that ZEC has not been fit for purpose for decades.
• If Zanu PF retains power once again through rigging and use of arms, we are asking the Election Observers to take a close look at the workings of ZEC. If ZEC's workings are questionable then the elections cannot be deemed to be free and fair. We are asking the Election Observers to take actions in the Regional, Continental and international world, to ensure that claim of electoral victory by Zanu PF does not stand.
• We are asking the Election Observers, SADC, African Union, EC, United Nations, Regional Blocks, international Organisations to take our suggestions seriously, especially if Zanu PF once again retains power through rigging and use of arms. Should they reject our suggestions contained in this referendum as possible ways forward in unlocking a disputed election result, can they provide suggestions of their own. Practical suggestions that can be timely implemented. What is not acceptable is the wait and see attitude or the failed suggestions of previous elections. Suggesting that Zanu PF again implements various reforms by the next election in 2028 would not be acceptable, since these suggestions have been on the table for some 35 years now and Zanu PF government has flatly refused to implement them. There is now need for proactive action.
• If Zanu PF retains power once again through rigging and force of arms, we ask The Republic of South Africa to change its stance, with respect to the Zanu PF in Zimbabwe. South Africa's previous President Thabo Mbeki ( 1999 – 2008 ) said that The African National Congress, ANC, government of South Africa was engaged in “quiet diplomacy“ with regard to the Zimbabwean Democracy Crises created by Zanu PF's unwillingness to concede defeat in elections. We ask the ANC government of South Africa what progress with the “quiet diplomacy“ since it is now 2023. Further to that;-
◦ With respect to the Zimbabwean crisis, to the ANC government what is more important to it, is it upholding the principles of democracy for the people of Zimbabwe or maintaining its relations with a fellow revolutionary political party ie Zanu PF.
◦ Between now and 2028 the year of the Zimbabwean next elections, it is certain that part of the Legal process for the Ndebele Genocide , Crimes Against Humanity, War Crimes will begin against high ranking Zanu PF officials, possibly with International Arrest warrants. How then will the ANC government work with the Zanu PF government, if at all it can, in the glare of the international arena and the geopolitical world. Only recently the International arrest warrant for The President of The Russian Federation Vladimir Putin put pressure upon the ANC government. For the Russian President wished to attend the recent BRICS meeting in South Africa. Ultimately however the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attended instead. And so this is no longer a hypothetical academic matter but one that is alive and very probable. That the ANC government will have a neighbouring government with senior members (Zanu PF) that cannot set foot in South Africa for fear of being arrested. Legal minds have and indeed are working on this matter, hence the certainty that it will now happen. It has taken too long, Justice delayed is justice denied!
◦ In 2008 about One million Zimbabweans emigrated to South Africa legally and illegally as a result of the stolen election by Zanu PF. Migration experts predict that should Zanu PF once again steal the coming elections that migration will once again repeat except on this occasion they envisage about two million migrating to South Africa. They will be mainly arriving in South Africa during South Africa's election year of 2024. Is the ANC government aware of this and if so what preparations has it made to accommodate such an influx from Zimbabwe.
◦ Is the ANC government aware that mass migration away from a crisis torn country is impossible to stop should Zanu PF once again steal these 2023 elections. What preparations has the ANC government made to address the social and economic upheaval this will cause, particularly with respect to violence and xenophobia on the streets of South Africa. For this will certainly occur as the migration of Zimbabweans to South Africa is only a symptom of the problem. The cause of the problem is in Zimbabwe i.e. Zanu PF.
◦ With respect to the matter of “Exemption Permits“ for Zimbabweans in South Africa. Can the ANC government change its stance of this as this would cause unimaginable hardships to Zimbabweans in South Africa and their dependents and extended families back in Zimbabwe. Yet for the ANC government not much would have been gained. The Exemption matter impacts about 150 000 Zimbabweans in South Africa. Whilst there is about 3 million Zimbabweans in South Africa. This figure of 3 million was given by President Thabo Mbeki some eighteen years ago. Meaning the figure is much higher now especially adding the One million mass migration from Zimbabwe to South Africa in 2008.
◦ Is the ANC government aware that its current position of encouraging Zimbabweans to return to Zimbabwe does not work so long as the Zimbabwean crisis continues in Zimbabwe. A crisis that has been wholly created by Zanu PF. The High Court and Supreme Court in Zimbabwe have ruled that those Zimbabweans who have been in the diaspora cannot vote or be candidates in the elections on the 23rd August 2023. This was the effect of the judgement upon the Savior Kasukuwere case. For the Savior Kasukuwere judgement impacted upon the whole of the 6.5 million plus Zimbabwe Diaspora. For the judges and in truth Zanu PF placed the Electoral Act above The Constitution of Zimbabwe. A profoundly erroneous and perverse adjudication if there ever was one. We ask for the ANC government to reconsider its current position on this matter most urgently.
◦ Is the ANC government aware that the Democratic space in Zimbabwe has been closed down by Zanu PF. That the Freedoms of Assembly, congregation and speech as inscribed in the Zimbabwean Constitution are no longer being adhered to by the Zanu PF government. Sending Zimbabweans back to Zimbabwe from South Africa to somehow “fight for their rights and country“ is to send them back to beatings, violence, killings, imprisonment far worse than that was experienced in South Africa during the Apartheid era. During the ANC's fight for independence it had its Armed Wing uMkhonto we Sizwe, the Front-Line States were there actively supporting them and the World at Large was supporting them implementing various measures. In the case of the people of Zimbabwe they only have themselves. In 2018 Zimbabwean citizens protesting orderly are gunned down in broad daylight by the Zimbabwean military taking orders from Zanu PF. Former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe heads a Commission of Enquiry into the 1st August 2018 killings on the streets of Harare. The Commission produces it report and recommendations. No action is taken by Zanu PF to the present day. People are shot dead and no one is held accountable. Can the ANC government state what else the Zimbabweans should be doing to, “fight for their rights and country“.
◦ Will the ANC government give an assurance that they will look at the “whole“ of the Election Process in Zimbabwe for the 2023 elections and not just confine themselves to this short period running up to the elections, before declaring it free and fair or otherwise. That if strong language and strong recommendations are required they say so, eg The Election Needs to be redone, ZEC needs to be suspended, a caretaker government needs to be formed. Tens of thousands of Zimbabweans in South Africa returned to Zimbabwe during the Christmas Holidays of 2022, hoping to Register to Vote. To all our shock and horror, we observed ZEC closing and locking its doors to people wishing to Register to vote during that period. Is the ANC government aware of such events. So those Zimbabweans based in South African could not Register to vote, by design of Zanu PF government and ZEC.