Mmusi Maimane, the leader of Build One South Africa, a South African opposition party, has called for political and electoral reforms in Zimbabwe to democratise the country and ensure that the upcoming general elections are credible.
Responding to a ruling by the Pretoria High Court on the termination of Zimbabwe Exemption Permits (ZEPs), Maimane said South Africa has a role to defend democracy in Zimbabwe.
Maimane said the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission should make the voters’ roll digitally accessible to the public and also the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) must pledge not to be involved in elections.
He said the public broadcaster, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) should give full access to opposition parties. Said Maimane:
The voters’ roll must be made public and digitally accessible.
The ZEC must be audited by international Election Commissions because they are not independent and observing best practice for elections.
Political prisoners like Job Sikhala must be released.
Legislation against free speech must be withdrawn.
The army must pledge not to be involved in elections. They must stay in the barracks.
Full permission for political rallies and meetings.
Full access to the state broadcaster for opposition parties. Unrestricted access for international observers and for international media.
He hit back at critics who accused him of interfering in Zimbabwe’s internal affairs in violation of the principle of national sovereignty, saying:
We must not allow a dictatorship to weaponise the principle of sovereignty.
It is about the sovereignty of a people to choose their leaders and the direction of their nation.
As a democratic nation, we cannot support the hijacking of a people by gunpoint. Which is what ZANU did.
The Pretoria High Court ruled that the termination of ZEP Permits, which were due to expire today, 30 June, was unconstitutional.
The South African Government had already given ZEP holders a further six months to regularise their stay or face deportation.
More: Pindula News