Thank you, SADC, once again!

18 September 2023

We, the people of Zimbabwe note the rising “megaphone diplomatic voices” coming out of Harare attacking Lusaka for leading a regional electoral observer mission which called out the truth, as they saw it, that the August 23 election in Zimbabwe was not free, not fair and not credible. 

We have no other neighbors except the SADC member states!

We declare through this statement the people of Zimbabwe’s unwavering solidarity with Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, the Chairperson of the SADC Troika on Politics, Defense and Security, and the Head of the SADC Electoral Observer Mission (SEOM) to Zimbabwe's recently held election, Dr Nevers Mumba, and his team. We also acknowledge the SADC Chairperson, His Excellency, the Angolan President Mr. João Lourenço for diplomatically saving Zimbabwe. 

We commend the SADC’s commitment to upholding democratic principles and flagging out the irregularities in the 23 August 2023 elections held in Zimbabwe.

The SEOM, under the leadership of Zambia’s former Deputy President Dr Nevers Mumba, carried out its mandate diligently, and in its preliminary report presented on the 25th of August identified various electoral malpractices that undermined the integrity and credibility of the electoral process in Zimbabwe. 

These malpractices, including the partisan approach of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), raised legitimate concerns about the fairness, transparency and credibility of the election. 

We fully support and endorse the conclusions of the SEOM, which emphasized that the Zimbabwe election fell short of the standards required in line with the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the Electoral Act of Zimbabwe, and the SADC principles governing democratic elections in the region.

Zimbabwe’s independence is owed to the Front-Line States, including Zambia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Angola and Botswana. As generations of Zimbabweans, we thank the people and leadership of these countries for standing with the people of Zimbabwe in securing their independence on 18 April 1980, in particular our right to land and one person one vote.

As the people of Zimbabwe, we will remain forever grateful. 

However, we are deeply concerned and shocked to witness that those that directly benefitted from the hospitality of the front-line states, including Zambia and Mozambique, have turned sharply against the same Comrades. 

The drive by the Government of Zimbabwe, in particular, the ruling Zanu PF party through it’s top officials and spokespersons and its media apparatus, especially the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) in making spirited attempts to discredit Dr Nevers Mumba, HE President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia, and the SADC institution as a whole is deplorable. It is not in our name!

The same SADC that supported Zimbabwe, South Africa and Namibia’s independence is the same that called Zimbabwe to respect the supremacy of the vote. We respect and celebrate that call. 

Is it not ironic that when the African Union (AU) is working flat out to stop and cure various coups on the continent, a minority segment of the Zimbabwean ruling elite still believes in usurping the people’s right to vote, all in pursuit of illegitimate power, often exercised through family cartels and to the detriment of the nation at large. It is high time Africa converts her resources to benefit Africans, and stop the puppetry of foreign forces installing and supporting puppet regimes through stolen elections. 

In view of the above, the people of Zimbabwe declare thus:

We are unequivocal in defending one person, one vote, a crucial gain of our independence.

We urge all SADC leaders to protect the people’s institution, its organs and systems. Vision 2063 can remain a mirage if the rules of engagement are randomly changed to suit the interests of a few puppet elites. 

We encourage the SADC not to be cowed into submission by the “megaphone responses” from Harare. Zimbabwe has a deep-seated crisis which needs dialogue, soberness and commitment from all including Zanu PF itself. 

We remind the African Union (AU) that the dilemma of stolen elections is a sure cause of political coups on the Continent. Therefore, free and fair elections must be promoted. 

We call upon the Government of Zimbabwe to respect human and political rights by not targeting members of the opposition and ordinary citizens in its sporadic shows of force by arresting, detaining and jailing them. We encourage restraint and dialogue to resolve the illegitimacy and socio-economic crises in Zimbabwe. 

Lastly, we stand united with President Hakainde Hichilema, Dr Nevers Mumba, and the SADC as a whole in their pursuit of justice, fairness, and the realization of true democracy in our beloved region. 

Signed: