adminAlthough it could not be established late yesterday if it was the new South African government’s official position regarding the election dates in Zimbabwe, Deputy Minister Ebrahim was quoted by the South African media — News24.com saying there was a need for appropriate reforms to be implemented before the polls.
“I think the opposition has a legitimate argument to say there should be proper progression for the election. There have to be certain reforms that need to be speeded up. If Zanu-PF says they (polls) should be held in June or July, that is probably playing politics. All parties should agree that the time is ripe for an election,” he said.
Deputy Minister Ebrahim said a regional election monitoring group should be deployed to Zimbabwe before the elections.
“There may be a little bit of intimidation here and there, knowing the history of Zimbabwe. The election results should reflect the will of the people of Zimbabwe,” he told the media.
The harmonised elections are expected to end the now dysfunctional inclusive Government formed following the 2008 elections that did not produce a clear winner. However, the MDC-T argues there should be security sector and media reform before the polls.
Speaking to the Herald yesterday, Tsholotsho North House of Assembly member Professor Jonathan Moyo, said Deputy Minister Ebrahim was raising some serious matters about Zimbabwe yet he was not part of the facilitation team to the Global Political Agreement.
“When the elections are going to be held in Zimbabwe is none of his business. He is not a facilitator and he is overstepping into other people’s mandate. We want to believe it is his position, not the position of the South African Government,” he said.
Prof Moyo said it was disturbing to note that Deputy Minister Ebrahim was calling the MDC-T leader as opposition yet he had been in Government for almost five years as Prime Minister.
“He cannot call the PM member of the opposition, someone who has been in Government as PM for five years. The opposition are those 25 parties that were announced by ZEC on Monday and those parties have said they want elections as soon as possible. For him to say we are playing politics on elections dates, the issues that are constitutional, is preposterous.
If it is the official South African position, then they are complicating their position on Zimbabwe. Its megaphone diplomacy to create crisis where there is none,” he said.
Zanu-PF spokesperson Cde Rugare Gumbo yesterday said all these statements and violence claims by the South African Minister were meant to damage the image of Zanu-PF.
He said it was, however, too late for the South African minister’s statement to cause any change in Zimbabwe’s body politic.
“As far as the so called reforms are concerned, it is too late to talk about that. We already have a new Constitution after Senate passed the
Constitutional Amendment Bill (20) with some minor changes that are going to be endorsed tomorrow (today) by the House of Assembly.
“This South African minister who is talking about our situation has to be reminded that Zimbabwe is an independent and sovereign nation. Once our new Constitution is ready, we do not want to hear that from South Africans.
These statements are all intended to damage Zanu-PF’s image. Right now the MDC-T and the rest of the world are saying there is no violence in Zimbabwe. Who is he to say that . . . The South Africans have this complex because they have not achieved genuine independence,” he said.
Sadc appointed facilitator to the GPA President Jacob Zuma’s backroom team spokesperson Ms Lindiwe Zulu, has also been accused of meddling in Zimbabwe’s internal processes by also suggesting that reforms were needed before the elections were held.
Online Reporter