Botswana singing a solo tune

Mashudu Netsianda
ON 31 July, Zimbabweans braved the chilly weather to vote in the harmonised elections at the different polling stations dotted across the country. Zimbabweans demonstrated the highest level of maturity when they exercised their democratic right in a peaceful manner.  The peaceful plebiscite attracted hordes of both local and foreign journalists keen on covering the historic polls.

In an endeavour to gather information and overall reflection of the election, the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) Election Observation Mission (SEOM) deployed 170 teams of observers in all the country’s 10 provinces.

In accordance with the Sadc Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections, Sadc observers were supposed to give comprehensive accounts of their findings in their areas of deployment in order for the mission to make an informed assessment of the polls.

SEOM deployed 573 observers drawn from Sadc member states, the largest observer mission ever deployed by Sadc.  Election observer missions from the African Union (AU) and Sadc endorsed Zimbabwe’s harmonised elections describing the polls as credible, free and fair.

Both heads of the AU and Sadc delegations that observed last week’s elections, former Nigerian president, General Olusegun Obasanjo and Tanzanian Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr Benard Membe gave the thumbs up to the polls.

What is therefore startling is that despite the Sadc and AU having endorsed the elections as credible, Botswana, a neighbouring country has decided to join the West in disputing the outcome, which MDC-T leader, Mr Morgan Tsvangirai described as a “farce and a sham.”

Mr Tsvangirai said his party was ready to challenge the results in the constitutional court.
President Mugabe romped to victory winning 61, 09 percent vote in a peaceful plebiscite that also saw Zanu-PF surpassing a two-thirds majority in Parliament.

Mr Tsvangirai polled 33, 94 percent while MDC leader Professor Welshman Ncube accounted for 2, 68 percent of the vote. Zapu leader, Dr Dumiso Dabengwa and Zimbabwe Development Party president, Mr Kisinoti Mukwazhe only managed 0,74 percent and 0,29 percent of the total vote respectively.

Botswana has become the only dissenting voice in the region disputing the outcome of Zimbabwe’s elections, claiming the polls have not measured up to Sadc guidelines.

In a statement on Monday, Botswana Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr Phandu Skelemani said his country was concerned by the outcome of the elections.
He said Botswana will lobby leaders in the regional bloc for an audit of elections, calling into question the fairness of President Mugabe and Zanu-PF’s victory.

“Various incidents and circumstances were revealed that call into question whether the entire electoral process, and thus its final result, can be recognised as having been fair, transparent and credible. There is no doubt that what has been revealed so far by our observers cannot be considered as an acceptable standard for free and fair elections in Sadc,” Mr Skelemani said.

However, his statement contrasted sharply with the endorsement given by South African president and Sadc facilitator to the just expired Global Political Agreement, Cde Jacob Zuma.

President Zuma on Sunday congratulated President Mugabe and Zanu-PF on their election success.  President Zuma said the elections were reflective of the will of Zimbabweans and urged all parties to accept the results.

Sadc leaders who included Presidents Armando Guebuza of Mozambique, Michael Sata of Zambia, Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya and Hifikepunye Pohamba of Namibia have also congratulated President Mugabe on his victory, saying the elections conformed with the Sadc guidelines on democratic elections and were a free expression of the will of Zimbabweans.

President Guebuza is the chairperson of the Sadc region bloc while President Kikwete is the chairperson of the influential Sadc Organ for Politics, Defence and Security.

The Dean of African Diplomatic Corps and Democratic Republic of Congo Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr Mwanananga Mwanapanga also described the elections as free and fair, adding that they were conducted in a professional manner.

Ironically, Botswana is disputing the polls which were endorsed by the Sadc observers some of whom were from that country as part of a team which observed the elections.

Botswana said a “dossier of irregularities witnessed by its 80 member observer team” would be shared with Sadc, the African Union and the international community.

“We need an audit to enable us to pronounce as to whether the elections meet the Sadc guidelines,” Mr Skelemani told journalists.
Botswana’s observers claimed that they had spotted various incidents prior to the elections despite the voting day having been free and peaceful.

President Mugabe said Zimbabwe should not worry much about its neighbour’s stance since the whole of Africa was showing its solidarity through congratulatory messages.

“We understand that next door we also have a country (Botswana) that will not step with the rest of Africa. This we should not worry much about it,” Cde Mugabe told a Zanu-PF Politburo meeting in Harare on Wednesday.

Political analyst, Professor Jonathan Moyo dismissed claims by Botswana that the elections were marred by irregularities and its demands for the audit. He described the neighbouring country’s demands as “thoroughly stupid”.

“This statement must be taken for what it is, it is thoroughly stupid. It is talking about a so-called independent audit which has no basis on any law nationally, regionally or internationally.

“This is not a financial issue to be audited. The national elections were conducted in terms of Zimbabwean laws and were declared free and fair by all international observers Sadc and the AU included,” he said.

“He (Botswana President Ian Khama) is the only bad apple and that raises questions about his integrity. Who is paying him? It also raises questions about allegations doing the rounds both in Botswana and Zimbabwe that he was a participant and sponsored the losers. He should show some shame. He is shameless.”

Zanu-PF spokesperson, Cde Rugare Gumbo also dismissed the allegations of election rigging, describing it as nonsensical talk.
He said all mechanisms were put in place to ensure that voting was conducted in a free and fair manner.

“The reality on the ground was that everything was done transparently. Our people voted in peace.  The elections were free and fair and quite credible as far as we are concerned so the talk of rigging is nonsense,” he said.

United Nations Secretary General Mr Ban Ki-Moon has also endorsed the polls.
Mr Ban Ki-Moon commended Zimbabweans for participating in what he has described as a broadly peaceful election. He said by voting in the elections, the people had exercised their democratic right.

The UN secretary general said those with complaints should take them through the right legal channels.

“The United Nations encourages the country’s leadership to govern responsibly, inclusively and to pursue policies and reforms that could serve to deepen democratic governance. The leadership should also spur economic recovery that would benefit all Zimbabweans” said Mr Ban Ki-Moon.