Farai Dziva|The MDC-Alliance has called for the immediate intervention of SADC in the political crisis in Zimbabwe.

Below is the MDC -Alliance statement :

17 August 2020

ZIMBABWE’S POLITICAL CRISIS DESERVES SADC ATTENTION

We note that the Communique of the just ended 40th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government has omitted the deteriorating governance and legitimacy crisis in Zimbabwe.

Whereas the Communique has taken note of the security situations in some countries including Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo, we urge regional leaders to equally pay attention to the deepening crisis in Zimbabwe.

Under the cover of COVID-19, the Government of Zimbabwe has intensified its crackdown on human rights defenders including journalists, lawyers, labor unions, civic society, the church and the opposition for exercising their constitutional rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association.

In response to citizen discontent owing to grand state corruption and plummeting socio-economic standards.

The political elite has abused state institutions to carry out systematic abductions, torture, extra-judicial killings and unlawful arrests. In the short period before and after the July 31 2020 peaceful citizen protests, we have recorded at least 146 cases of human rights violations against our members including 38 abductions.

The situation, coupled with the lack of cohesion in government now pose a serious threat to peace and security in Zimbabwe and the SADC region in general.

We reiterate that genuine inclusive national dialogue to agree on a comprehensive reform age. and platform through an agreed neutral facilitator supported by SADC.

The African Union and the international community at large remains the only plausible route to extricate Zimbabwe out of its current state.

We urge SADC to urgently intervene in Zimbabwe in line with the SADC Protocol on Politics, Defence and Security in order to maintain regional peace and security.

MDC -Alliance