First off, apologies for the title. I couldn’t stop myself. That being said, South African President Jacob Zuma traveled to Zimbabwe last week for either one of two reasons, depending on who you were asking. According to South Africa and the current majority political party MDC, Zuma was there in his role as Chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), guarantors of Zimbabwe’s unity government, to encourage resolution on outstanding issues of contention between MDC and the former ruling party ZANU-PF regarding the political agreement structuring the unity government. However, according to President Robert Mugabe of ZANU-PF, Zuma was only in town to open an agricultural show.
Zuma met privately with the three signatories to Zimbabwe’s Global Political Agreement (GPA)-President Mugabe, Prime Minister Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Mutambara-and offered absolutely nothing productive to break the on going stalemate, which is pretty much as expected. Despite prior assurances that he would speak strongly against any “deviant behavior,” he failed to hold any of the signatories accountable for the continuing human rights violations in Zimbabwe or demand an immediate resolution to the political difficulties hampering the State. In the meantime, Mutambara of MDC-M is facing increasing difficulties as he is challenged within his own party and heckled by the official State paper.
SADC meets this week in Kinshasa, DRC where the Chair will transitition to President Kabila, who has failed dismally in managing catastrophic human rights violations within his own borders. But you can do you part to let SADC and President Kabila know you are watching what happens in Zimbabwe by sending a message to the SADC leadership urging them to protect women in Zimbabwe.
We're not even citizens of South Africa, or constituents of Zuma, so what hope do we have of him listening to us?
We’re not even citizens of South Africa, or constituents of Zuma, so what hope do we have of him listening to us?
Joe,
They listen because you took the time out of your day to go to AIUSA's web site. They listen because you took the time to read this blog. They listen because its not possible for us all to work in refugee camps or soup kitchens or Red Cross shelters but we care about what it happening in our world and want to do something to make a positive change. They listen because when we all stand up with one voice and say that something isn't right, we can make that positive change happen. They listen because that voice ratified the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They listen because that voice ended apartheid. They listen because that voice ended slavery and demanded civil rights. They listen, even though it may seem that they do not hear because the change we seek doesn't happen as quickly or as dramatically as we would wish. And we speak because the alternative is unacceptable.
Sarah
Joe,
They listen because you took the time out of your day to go to AIUSA’s web site. They listen because you took the time to read this blog. They listen because its not possible for us all to work in refugee camps or soup kitchens or Red Cross shelters but we care about what it happening in our world and want to do something to make a positive change. They listen because when we all stand up with one voice and say that something isn’t right, we can make that positive change happen. They listen because that voice ratified the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They listen because that voice ended apartheid. They listen because that voice ended slavery and demanded civil rights. They listen, even though it may seem that they do not hear because the change we seek doesn’t happen as quickly or as dramatically as we would wish. And we speak because the alternative is unacceptable.
Sarah