Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Zuma: SADC Will Act Over Zimbabwe Impasse

Cape Town - President Jacob Zuma said on Tuesday that intervention measures will be taken within the Southern African Development Community and other continental structures, should there be any indication that the provisions of democracy inside Zimbabwe are compromised.

"We have noted that since the establishment of the coalition government in Zimbabwe the nature and extent of violence has subsided," he said, giving a written reply to a Parliamentary question tabled by Athol Trollip, the Democratic Alliance leader in Parliament.

"We are confident that the current coalition government will make greater efforts to make certain that there is wide-spread respect and promotion for the rule of law and human rights, including political rights and freedom of association."

Trollip had asked whether he would make public the report made by retired generals sent to Zimbabwe to investigate the role of the military in the last year's post-election violence, and whether he would send them back again now to probe reports of continued intimidation and harassment.

The President's reply indicated that he would not send them back, and he told Trollip that since the report was only made orally to former president Thabo Mbeki, he had no report available to release.

- I-Net Bridge (News24)