THE Southern African Development Community Democracy Forum has hailed the resignation of former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, whom the organisation described as a dictator who had presided over the systematic oppression of the populace for the past 37 years.
BY SILAS NKALA
In a statement, Sadc Democracy Forum said Mugabe, together with his Zanu PF cronies, had been involved in widespread corruption, looting and mismanagement of State resources and other crimes which contributed to the country being a failed State.
“As we welcome President Mugabe’s resignation, we would like to congratulate the people of Zimbabwe in their victory over tyranny. Furthermore we would like to call on them to work together across the political divide to ensure that the country is taken forward and that never again does a Zimbabwean suffer oppression by another Zimbabwean,” the statement read.
“It would be a travesty of justice not to acknowledge the role played by the Zimbabwe Defence Forces towards the fall of President Mugabe. Much has been said about its past role in the perpetuation of oppression, however, in this instance; it has come to the side of the people and played a role in the fall of the tyrant.”
The forum also called on the military to ensure that democracy prevails in the country.
“We also note that the people of Zimbabwe have been resolute in their call for Mugabe to resign and we are hopeful that his resignation will go a long way towards placing the country on the road to full democracy and the implementation of the new Constitution that the people of Zimbabwe voted overwhelmingly for, which Mugabe vehemently refused to implement,” the NGO added.
The forum said Zimbabweans’ victory gave hope to the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Swaziland, Zambia and Lesotho who are currently struggling under the heavy yoke of oppression.
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“It was not easy, but finally the tyrant Mugabe has fallen and we are hopeful that he will not get away with the atrocities that he committed against the people of Zimbabwe over the years.
“The full might of the law needs to take its course so that a clear message can be sent to other dictators within the region that their evil deeds of oppression, murder, corruption and the looting of State resources will not go unpunished,” the forum reiterated.
