From Swaziland and Zimbabwe at a
COSATU convened solidarity conference
We, civil society organizations from South Africa, Zimbabwe and Swaziland gathered at this COSATU-convened Solidarity Conference, together with fellow comrades from the rest of the Southern African region, and acting on behalf of the people of our countries, today reassert our commitment to the struggle for a transition to democracy in the two sister countries of Zimbabwe and Swaziland.
In doing so, we stand firmly by the principles of democratic governance that are embodied in the SADC and African Union Charters, declarations and protocols on good governance and which represent the birthright of every African.
We have noted and continue to note that electoral fraud, political manipulation by ruling elites, institutionalised oppression and state brutality are the key defining features of the two states, and that unless we act and act together, this situation will never change. Only the organised power of the working class will break the back of this organised thuggery.
Given the present environment of fear and oppression that obtains in both Zimbabwe and Swaziland, we declare the following:
In the effort to find a way forward from the political and economic crisis that now grips Zimbabwe, we are guided by a respect for freedom, equality, human dignity, accountability, non-partisanship, non-violence and a culture of peace. The Zimbabwe People's Charter, which was adopted after widespread deliberation and discussion with the public, provides us with a mandate to struggle for these principles.
The People's Charter declares that elections in Zimbabwe will remain illegitimate until they are held under a new, democratic constitution. Moreover, a constitution is invalid unless it is the product of a people-driven, participatory process which makes room for the input of all Zimbabweans. Therefore the existing constitutional order is incapable of producing a democratic government.
We commit ourselves fully to the struggle for the ideals of democracy, which include press freedom, people-centred economic planning, an appropriate balance of power in government, a respect for human rights, and an enabling environment for children, the youth, women, the disabled and People Living with HIV/AIDS.
We are today faced with a political and social climate that makes a transition to democracy very difficult. Scores of our colleagues have been killed, hundreds imprisoned and thousands driven from their homes. Moreover, the space for democratic participation by the political opposition, civil society organisations, and the public at large has been eliminated by draconian laws and extralegal exercises of power.
The following steps must be taken to create an environment conducive to open negotiations by all stakeholders:
If the foregoing conditions are met, we believe that a transitional authority would provide an appropriate vehicle for ushering in democratic reform. This institution would have a specific, limited mandate to oversee the drafting of a new, people-driven constitution and the subsequent facilitation of free and fair elections. We wholeheartedly reject the suggestion of an elitist power-sharing agreement that fails to address the inadequacy of the current constitutional regime.
The structure of a transitional authority would need to be spelled out in a negotiated settlement. We demand that civil society organisations and the general public be party to these negotiations. Although the exact details of the transitional authority's mandate would need to be determined through debate and public consultation, the following elements are necessary to ensure that it is successful in establishing a new democratic order:
We however note the courage of the people of Zimbabwe in their determined efforts to soldier on against all odds, particularly in the face of extreme hostilities and state violence. The world community of democracy-loving people remains fully behind them at this hour of need, always acting to raise their issues and suffering in order to promote awareness and put pressure on regional leaders to act decisively.
We also note the SADC mediation efforts led by South African President Thabo Mbeki, which have raised hopes for the possible resolution of the protracted conflict, but we believe a lot still needs to be done for the right environment to be created.
We are cognisant of Swaziland having the oldest state of emergency in the region, with all public institutions and decision-making the monopoly and sole preserve of the royal family, with no democratic elections, systemic and institutionalised corruption and state terror against political and worker activists, founded on the basis of the 1973 king's decree that concentrated all power in the hands of the monarchy. The years of convenient silence on Swaziland have promoted a culture of impunity and disregard for the fundamentals of democracy in the whole region.
We further note the deepening political and socio-economic crisis, as well as the protracted political impasse which has not been resolved by the new constitution promulgated in 2005, which itself is a product of an illegitimate process and royal imposition, Swaziland civil society congregated under the banner of the Swaziland United Democratic Front affirms the following demands:
We also note and welcome recent positive developments on the side of the oppressed and struggling people of Swaziland. Most notable is the formation of Swaziland United Democratic Front (SUDF), which brings together all progressive forces and further unites all the people in struggle for democracy and social change.
We further note the joint celebration of May Day by all worker organisations and trade unions in the country, for the first time in the history of the country, sending a clear statement that the time for the people to act together has come and that the people will resist all attempts at disuniting them.
To that end the following goals of the Swazi struggle remain the key guide:
These require that we ensure that we:
The Mswati regime rules without the mandate and will of the people. If in Swaziland, Mswati's claim to natural and divine right to rule is the automatic ticket to permanent self-imposition of his interests, in Zimbabwe, Mugabe's liberation credentials and wild claims give him the right to the same status.
These false assumptions elevate these two regimes to levels above scrutiny and accountability, not only in their own countries or to their own people, but to the world community of civilised conduct. This is why institutions of global and regional governance, have not acted with the required amount of decisiveness expected of them in confronting these rogues for such a long time.
Programme of action: Affirming the certainty of democratic victory in Zimbabwe and Swaziland through intensified struggle
The coming summit of heads of states to be held in Johannesburg on 16-17 August 2008 provides both an opportunity and space for civil society to clearly make an unequivocal statement to the leaders of the region that things cannot go on as usual. A new sense of urgency must begin to define the new SADC in the making. We have, for a long time now, allowed the wound of conveniently ignored illegitimate and undemocratic regimes to fester and begin to affect the entire fibre of the region.
In this regard, we hold dear the firm view that Robert Mugabe and Mswati III are not legitimate leaders of their various countries. They cannot claim any amount of legitimacy to rule their countries, for they have not been democratically elected by the peoples of their countries.
Therefore, as representatives of civil society we condemn the behaviour of these two leaders and take it upon ourselves to expose them and their unacceptable behaviour before the eyes of the world. In this regard, we hereby resolve to hold a massive march, indeed a show of strength and conviction on the 16th August, during the SADC heads of states summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in South Africa. In this regard, we shall be working together with broad network of social forces opposed to the evil acts of these rogue regimes and committed to the objectives of democracy.
Together, we commit ourselves to:
We seek to build a regional solidarity movement, based on the proud traditions of militant struggle, popular activism and consistently progressive mobilization of workers and the poor against all forms of attacks on the people.
We commit ourselves to the creation of an effective momentum for sustained boycott of goods destined for Zimbabwe and Swaziland throughout the region, with the trade union movement taking an active lead.
All workers must refuse to serve Mugabe and Mswati, as well as their close associates and collaborators, anywhere in the region, so as to ensure that they indeed feel the heat of isolation.
We seek to co-ordinate all efforts underway to contribute towards a lasting solution to the deepening crisis in the two countries, whilst also remaining very vigilant to potential crisis situations in the region.
We shall work with regional institutions, particularly SATUCC, the SADC Council of NGOs and the Fellowship of Christian Councils in Southern Africa to create an advanced infrastructure for sustained solidarity work.
We call for the transformation of SADC in order to deepen democratic participation, enhance its responsive capacity and deepen its strategic relevance to the dynamics of the region and its capacity to serve the people more effectively, particularly as regards monitoring the adherence of its member states to its protocols and commitments.
We seek to take the leading effort and struggle on matters affecting the people of our region, hence our call to all supporters of our cause to:
Today we express a hope that the long journey to emancipate the citizens of both Swaziland and Zimbabwe is near its end. Although we face numerous challenges, we believe that a commitment to the principles which have guided us in our struggle for democracy will lead to a resolution of the current political impasse obtaining in the two countries. We therefore urge all SADC citizens to join us in our efforts to realize a just and democratic society, not only in Zimbabwe and Swaziland, but throughout the entire region. Let us continue fighting for our freedom, democracy and co-prosperity, underpinned by progressive development paradigms founded on the basis of a redistributive system.
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