By Leonnel Mhuka
The recent SADC Summit, hosted in Harare, has attracted widespread criticism as it has revealed the true nature of the ruling government in Zimbabwe. While the summit has come and gone, many Zimbabweans are left questioning what, if anything, the event has brought them beyond increased suffering and economic hardship.
Speaking to Change Radio, Senator Felix Mafa Sibanda voiced strong disapproval of how the summit was handled, stressing that the real beneficiaries were not the citizens of Zimbabwe, but rather the SADC leadership and its executives. “SADC leadership, thus Heads of States and Governments and its executive officers and employees, are the major beneficiaries of such useless gatherings. The general public, the ‘povo,’ are always at the receiving end with little or no notable benefits at all,” Sibanda said.
A particular point of contention raised by Sibanda is the construction of 16 villas for the summit, which were hastily built without any clear budget from the national treasury. “Just imagine why some 16 villas were hurriedly constructed without a budget from the national purse or consolidated revenue? It’s imperative that the Mnangagwa administration be held accountable for the logic of building these unused villas by the said Heads of States and Governments,” he asserted. He went on to question the transparency of this decision, noting that neither the public nor Parliament was informed about the costs or potential benefits of these villas, which now risk becoming “white elephants.”
Senator Sibanda went on to criticize the ZANU PF government for what he described as a “historical, hopeless, wasteful and violent SADC summit.” He brought to light the violent crackdowns on citizens before, during and after the summit, saying, “Instead of celebrating as the hosting nation, the opposite happened—there was torture, induced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and all sorts of human rights violations. The state law enforcement agents turned the summit into a spectacle of repression.” The summit was marked by a severe breach of human rights, which saw more than 165 human rights defenders, opposition politicians and supporters being arrested, tortured , denied bail and family being threatened by state agents, which the Senator descirbed as the government displaying what he called “bully tactics.”
In his closing remarks, Sibanda called for transparency and accountability from the government regarding the summit’s expenses, an explanation for the arbitrary arrests and an end to the widespread human rights violations. “Zimbabweans are demanding three things from this de facto government: firstly, transparency and accountability on the expenses abused by the government; secondly, an explanation for the arbitrary arrests of innocent activists and human rights defenders; and thirdly, a halt to the wanton human rights violations. The president’s role is to defend and protect the supreme law and all other laws as stated in Chapter 5 (90)1 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, 2013,” Sibanda urged.
He reminded the ruling elite that while political parties and leaders come and go, Zimbabwe remains permanent. “One thing that the ruling elite must know is that political parties and leaders come and go, but Zimbabwe is solidly permanent. Those with ears among the Heads of States and Governments must hear seriously, for the time has come for sweeping change in the region,” Sibanda concluded.
Sibanda’s message is clear: the time for change in the region has come, and the voices of concerned citizens must be heard. As the SADC summit fades from the headlines, the underlying issues it has exposed remain, leaving Zimbabweans with more questions than answers.
