Youth Organisations Petition SADC

Youth Organisations call on SADC to resolve Zimbabwe crisis
11 April 2008

The World Student Christian Federation (WSCF) and the World YWCA have called on members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to take immediate action to resolve the political crisis in Zimbabwe. An extraordinary SADC summit meets on April 12, 2008 in Lusaka, Zambia to deal with the political impasse in Zimbabwe created by the nearly two-week delay in announcing results of the presidential elections of 2 March. In a statement delivered to SADC member states on April 12, WSCF and the World YWCA note the devastating impact the crisis is having on women and young people who are "already struggling to meet the basic needs for life with dignity".In the statement, WSCF and YWCA note that lack of information on the results of the election is "creating anxiety and tension across the country". As such, they urge President Levi Mwanawasa of Zambia, chair of SADC, and all member states to:1. Support and provide the necessary protection and guarantees that enables the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to announce the Presidential results that demonstrate the correct verdict of the people2. Urge Zimbabwean political parties to desist from interfering with the work of ZEC and enable ZEC to immediately announce results of the presidential vote taken on 29 March3. Urges Zimbabwean police and army to be professional and non-partisan and to respect electoral processes4. Immediately deploy observers and peace monitors to Zimbabwe to help document human rights violations and observe any eventual electoral rerun or runoff5. Request media in Zimbabwe to desist from using hate language and spreading falsehoods that may increase levels of intolerance and tension in the country6. Call on all Zimbabweans leaders to resolve this political impasse peacefullyMorgan Tsvangirai and Robert Mugabe are expected to attend the Lusaka summit.

The full text of the WSCF and YWCA message to the Southern African Development Community can be found on http://www.wscfglobal.org/showStoryNews.php?id=70