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Systems of Representation and Democratic Practice in Sub-Saharan Africa

The Zimbabwean experience

Zimbabwe has some of the best developed, established and run civil society organisations in sub-Saharan Africa. Most of these organisations have been established since independence in 1980. Under white minority rule Rhodesia, as it then was, had very few civil organisations, and hardly any human rights organisations. Indeed the only human rights NGO of any significance were the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP).

Accordingly whilst civil organisations have played a very positive role in developing Zimbabwe, the fact that most of them have been established post independence, largely through Western aid, has enabled the Zanu PF regime to accuse many civil organisations are being imperialistic tools whenever they criticise the regime of human rights abuses.

There are now a plethora of civil organisations ranging from human rights organisations such as the Legal Resources Foundation (LRF), the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), Zimbabwe lawyers for human rights and Zimrights, to developmental and humanitarian organisations such as the Organisation for Rural Association for Progress (ORAP) and the Matabeleland Aids Council. Government would never have been able to reach its developmental targets without the support of these civil organisations. For the first 20 years after independence government largely welcomed the establishment of civil organisations and recognised the complementary developmental role these organisations played. However since 2000 government has increasingly seen civil organisations as threats to its own hegemony.

To illustrate the role that civil organisations have played and how their relationship with government has changed in the last decade one should consider the establishment, development and work done by one civil organisation since independence. For this purpose I will use the LRF an organisation I have been involved with since its establishment in 1984.

The MDC expresses its deep concern and outrage regarding the pre-emptive arrests of ZCTU members and our colleagues in the MDC, the alleged denial of access to them by lawyers and alleged assaults of them by state operatives this week.

Notwithstanding the provisions of POSA, the Zimbabwean Constitution is quite clear regarding the right that Zimbabweans have to demonstrate peaceably. The provisions of POSA used by the ZANU PF regime to arrest people exercising this fundamental constitutional right are fascist laws no different to those used by the white minority regime in terms of LOMA. They were bad laws then and are no different now. LOMA did not prevent the legitimate demands of the people from being realised and in the same way POSA will not succeed ultimately in denying the people their rights. The sooner the regime realises that these laws will not solve the Zimbabwean crisis the better. The regime is advised to repeal POSA and then sit down with all Zimbabweans to negotiate a solution to the calamitous situation afflicting our nation.

We are especially concerned about reports that state agents have denied access by lawyers to those detained and that several of those detained have been severely assaulted. These two breaches of rights usually go hand in hand - when lawyers can’t get in to see their clients law enforcement agencies the world over feel they have licence to torture. That is the very reason why the United States Supreme Court recently, and very correctly, ruled that the denial of access to lawyers in Guantanamo Bay offended the American Constitution. Sadly this practice is routine in Zimbabwe and has been for decades. It must stop immediately and those responsible for both the denial of access and torture must be identified, rooted out of whatever state agency they belong to and prosecuted.

Dear Friends,

When I last wrote to you in late May, explaining my views regarding the split in the MDC, I said I would write again regarding my general work as your MP, and this is now that letter.

Life in Zimbabwe continues to get harder for all her people except the ruling elite who continue to accumulate vast wealth on the backs of the very people they claim to represent. Since the March 2005 general election we have seen some of the worst human rights violations ever committed by this regime, especially the so called Operation Murambatsvina which destroyed the lives of so many poor Zimbabweans. Despite claiming that this was designed to improve the lives of people, 16 months after the operation the hard facts show that a tiny percentage of homes destroyed have been rebuilt by the regime and the vast majority of those who lost either their homes or source of income are in a pitiful state.

Furthermore despite the claims of the regime that there is an “economic turnaround” happening, it is clear to all thinking people that this is simply another lie. The recent so called “Operation Sunrise” action of the Reserve Bank Governor, with the approval of the regime, taking three zeroes off our currency, has not addressed one of the key economic problems, inflation. Indeed if anything this policy has fueled inflation. Aspects of the new policy show just how out of touch with reality this regime is - for example the decision to print new 1 cent notes is sheer lunacy because the cost of printing the notes is vastly more than what the notes are worth.

The divisions within the opposition have been most unfortunate and have greatly benefited the regime. But we must now move on and refocus on the root of the Zimbabwean crisis - namely tyrannical rule.