South Africa opposition calls for fresh Zimbabwe elections

16 Novembre 2017

Cape Town, South Africa, November 16  (Infosplusgabon) - South Africa’s official opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) on Thursday said the instability in Zimbabwe is cause for concern for all African countries which stand for democracy on the continent.

This is after the Zimbabwean Defence Force has moved into the country’s capital, Harare, to “target criminals” aligned to President Robert Mugabe.

Mugabe’s decision to fire his Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, last week, brought to the surface the deep-seated factionalism within the ruling ZANU-PF.

DA leader Mmusi Maimane called for fresh elections to be held in Zimbabwe as soon as practically possible and for President Mugabe to immediately resign.

“This will allow the people of Zimbabwe to choose a new direction for their country, and to free themselves from the tyrannical reign of Robert Mugabe and his ZANU-PF. True democracy is adhering to the will of the people, not the internal politics and arrangements of liberation movements,” he said.

Maimane pointed out that while the involvement of the military in politics is never to be celebrated, it must be noted that the original sin in the sad collapse of Zimbabwe was the South African government’s failure, under President Thabo Mbeki, to stand up for democracy and enforce the results of the 2008 election.

“Allowing Mr Mugabe to remain in office even after losing an election clearly sowed the seeds for what we are seeing today. History has taught us that failed liberation movements cannot and will not self-correct. The solution has to come from outside these movements,” he added.

FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/EST/ GABON 2017

© Copyright Infosplusgabon