The Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) youth league has accused the Southern African Development Community (SADC) of betraying the region’s citizens by protecting political leaders who they claim have wantonly violated the rights of their own people.
Zimbabwe is scheduled to host the 44th Ordinary SADC Heads of State and Government Summit on August 17th at the New Parliament Building in Mt Hampden, where President Emmerson Mnangagwa is set to assume the organisation’s chairmanship.
In a statement, MRP youth representative Mkhululi Jele argued that Mnangagwa does not deserve this leadership position given his widely criticised human rights record. Said Jele:
This betrayal of trust has led to widespread human rights abuses, electoral fraud and economic exploitation all of which have gone unpunished.
SADC’s inaction in the face of atrocities like the Matabeleland and Midlands massacres is a stark reminder of its failure to uphold human rights.
Over 40 000 innocent lives were lost and millions were displaced, yet SADC did nothing to hold the perpetrators accountable.
Instead, influential SADC figures have continued to endorse and support the authoritarian regime responsible for these heinous crimes.
Jele further argued that SADC’s failure to adequately address human rights violations within its member states has emboldened some governments to continue violating the rights of their citizens with impunity. Said Jele:
SADC’s transformation into a cartel that silences dissenting voices and undermines citizens’ rights is a worrying trend.
The organisation’s failure to address the concerns of its citizens has created a culture of fear and intimidation, where those who speak out against injustice are targeted and persecuted.
Jele urged SADC to take concrete steps to address the pressing issues facing citizens across the region, such as electoral reform, economic empowerment, and the protection of human rights.
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