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Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
THE Sadc Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation has congratulated President Mugabe on his re-election, with African diplomats accredited to Zimbabwe commending the harmonised elections and slamming the West’s condescending attitude towards assessments by African observer teams.
President Mugabe and Zanu-PF romped to a resounding victory, sweeping 160 National Assembly seats to the MDC-T’s 49 with the other seat going to an independent candidate.
The President trounced MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai by garnering 61,09 percent of the votes to 33,94 percent for the MDC-T leader while three other contestants — Professor Welshman Ncube (MDC), Dr Dumiso Dabengwa (Zapu) and Mr Kisinoti Mukwazhe (ZDP) — shared the remaining 4.97 percent.
Government barred observers from Western countries that imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe, accusing them of coming with pre-conceived ideas.
While observer teams from Sadc, Comesa, the African Union, and African, Caribbean and Pacific countries have endorsed the credibility of the harmonised elections, some Western countries led by the United States, Britain and its dominion, the ex-penal colony of Australia have been parroting MDC-T’s claims of vote-rigging without offering supporting evidence.
This has effectively put Mr Tsvangirai and his Western sponsors in one corner and Africa and Zanu-PF on another side, aping the contestation in Zimbabwe over the past decade.
In his congratulatory message, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete — who chairs the Troika — described President Mugabe’s re-election as an indication of the confidence Zimbabweans have in his leadership.
“I have received with great pleasure, the news of your re-election for another term to lead the people of Zimbabwe. On behalf of the government and people of the United Republic of Tanzania and indeed on my own behalf, I would like to congratulate Your Excellency for this resounding victory.
“Indeed your re-election is a clear testimony of the confidence and trust the people of Zimbabwe bestowed upon you. Under your able leadership, Zimbabwe has recorded tremendous socio-economic developments, despite some challenges. Thus we look forward for greater progress and prosperity for the people of Zimbabwe as well as your continued invaluable contribution to our region and the continent through Sadc and the AU,” he said.
President Kikwete said his Zimbabwe and Tanzania enjoy excellent relations founded on shared political, economic and social values.
“As we celebrate your re-election, I wish to reiterate my desire as well as that of the government and the people of the United Republic of Tanzania to further strengthen the cordial relations that so happily exist between the Governments and peoples of our two countries by exploring more opportunities of cooperation for the mutual benefit of our two countries and peoples,” Mr Kikwete said.
The Troika joins Sadc facilitator Cde Jacob Zuma, Kenyan President Mr Uhuru Kenyatta and the Chinese government who have all congratulated President Mugabe and Zanu-PF on their resounding victory and urged all parties to accept the result. Cde Zuma said the poll outcome should be respected by all as observers hailed it as an expression of the will of the people.
Speaking in Harare yesterday, the dean of African Diplomatic Corps Mr Mwanananga Mwawampanga who is Democratic Republic of Congo ambassador to Zimbabwe said the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission had shown unparalleled professionalism.
“The elections were free and fair and everybody knows that. I have been here since 2001 and witnessed elections in 2002, 2005 and 2008 but this last election was the best that ZEC has organised in this country and everybody knows it.
“They (Western countries) know that the elections were conducted in a professional manner, it was free and fair but they just don’t want to accept it,” Ambassador Mwawampanga said.
Ambassador Mwawampanga criticised the West for ignoring reports by various African observer groups and relying on statements produced by a non-governmental organisations they fund.
“They are using the Zimbabwe Elections Support Network which they give money to say what they want them to say,” he said.
Ambassador Mwawampanga said it was now important for all the political players to move forward.
“It is now important that the country moves forward. There were no winners or losers in the elections, the winner was all Zimbabweans. Zanu-PF should now forget whatever problems there were and bring everybody on board,” he said.
He said it was important for Sadc and the AU to convince the West on the credibility of the polls.
“Sadc and the AU should tell the West to understand that this election was monitored by the AU, Sadc, Comesa and the ACP nations who all certified that the elections were free and fair. What they need to understand is that in this election there were no winners or losers so that we can all move forward for the good of all Zimbabweans, the Sadc region, the AU and the whole world,” he said.
“Trying to fight what is so clear and clean will be a waste of energy and resources. They should just swallow their pride and lift the sanctions. They should not keep burying their heads in the sand because sanctions have not helped anyone, they have not helped Zimbabweans and they have not helped them,” said Ambassador Mwawampanga.
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