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In a statement released on Monday, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Chairperson, Namibian President Hage Geingob was silent on the people who were allegedly killed by soldiers during last month’s shutdown Zimbabwe protests.
Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum documented 17 deaths due to state-sanctioned brutality. SADC also blamed NGOs supported by external forces, for attempting to destabilise the country. The southern African regional bloc said demonstrators used the fuel price increase as an excuse to implement their intention to destabilise Zimbabwe. Said Geingob:
The SADC Heads of State and Government noted that since coming to power, the new Government of Zimbabwe has continued with concerted efforts to address socio-economic challenges and transform the economy, particularly through the Zimbabwe Transitional Stabilization Programme (2018-2020), and to consolidate unity and peace in the country. This, notwithstanding, some internal groups, in particular NGOs, supported by external forces, have continued with efforts to destabilise the country.
The SADC Heads of State and Government also noted that in an effort to address the economic challenges in the country, the Government recently increased fuel prices. Unfortunately, violent demonstrators rode on the back of increases in fuel prices, to implement their intention to destabilise the country. The demonstrations resulted in the destruction of property and loss of life. SADC condemns, in the strongest terms, the violence that ensued, and expresses sympathy with the affected families for the loss of their loved ones and their properties.
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African Solutions to African Problems
The implementation of African solutions to African problems appears to be an indication of Africa’s determination to solve her own challenges and leave the image of a permanently troubled land behind. It speaks of the coming together of African leaders and civil society to repair the damage that Africa has long suffered.
However, the populace is the leading critic of this maxim as they point to the numerous times that the regional body and mother body has failed to lead conflict management efforts on the continent as an indication of their deficiency to meet this mandate.
African leaders are complicit to predicaments of the continent. African governments are riddled with cases of corrupt leaders who show no intention of serving the interests of their people or the continent. SADC and AU ranks are made up of these very leaders, weakening their capabilities to find African solutions and making the African solutions for African problems an unattainable goal.
Good governance involves far more than the power of the state or the strength of political will. The rule of law, transparency, and accountability are not merely technical questions of administrative procedure or institutional design. They are outcomes of democratizing processes driven not only by committed leadership, but also by the participation of, and contention among, groups and interests in society. Society and community groups are not enemies. They are part of the machine, you need them if you are to succeed