Please
find
attached soundbite by Ryan
Smith
MP.
The
CDF
has
garnered
widespread
support
in
recent
years
for
its
opposition
to
constitutional
amendments
to
extend
the
rule
of
Zimbabwean
President,
Emmerson
Mnangagwa.
Zimbabwe
recently
gazetted
Constitution
Amendment
Bill
No.
3,
which
would
introduce
far-reaching
proposals
to
usher
in
limitless
presidential
terms
for
the
ZANU-PF
under
the
guise
of
technical
reforms
to
electoral
cycles
and
governance
structures.
This
would
further
entrench
the
ZANU-PF’s
dictatorship
by
bending
the
Zimbabwean
constitution
to
permit
and
justify
complete
party-state
control
while
crushing
democracy.
This
latest
act
of
wanton
state
brutality
on
political
freedom
should
sound
alarm
bells
to
the
South
African
Presidency
and
the
Department
of
International
Relations
and
Cooperation
(DIRCO).
Zimbabwe’s
democratic
backslide
and
subsequent
state
collapse
continues
to
threaten
regional
stability
and
is
the
source
of
one
of
South
Africa’s
largest
migration
crises.
South
Africa
cannot
continue
to
turn
a
blind
eye
to
the
crisis
on
its
doorstep.
We
call
on
President
Cyril
Ramaphosa
and
Minister
Ronald
Lamola
to
condemn
Tendai
Biti’s
arrest
and
urgently
engage
with
Zimbabwean
authorities
through
diplomatic
channels
to
reconsider
this
draconian
legislative
proposal.
South
Africa
cannot
continue
to
prop
up
its
fraternity
of
leaders
who
continue
to
trample
on
democracy
and
the
rights
of
citizens
across
the
Southern
African
region.
This
recent
act
of
state
oppression
follows
a
worrying
trend
seen
in
countries
such
as
Uganda
and
Tanzania
which
have
arrested
opposition
leaders
on
trumped
up
charges
of
treason
to
silence
opposing
voices
and
sideline
democracy.
The
ANC,
which
holds
the
presidency
and
the
ministry
of
foreign
affairs
in
the
Government
of
National
Unity
(GNU),
cannot
turn
a
blind
eye
to
the
emergence
of
autocratic
despots
which
threaten
the
stability
of
the
entire
Southern
African
region.
Section
11.9
of
the
GNU’s
statement
of
intent
commits
South
Africa
to
a
foreign
policy
based
on
human
rights
and
constitutionalism.
South
Africa
cannot
continue
to
speak
out
against
every
other
injustice
in
other
parts
of
the
world
while
ignoring
the
most
egregious
violations
next
door.
President
Ramaphosa
and
Minister
Lamola
have
a
duty
to
promote
these
values
within
our
region,
and
it
is
incumbent
on
them
to
take
seriously
their
constitutional
duty
to
secure
regional
stability
and
prosperity
by
ensuring
that
freedom
and
democracy
survive
and
thrive.
Source:
DA
condemns
arrest
of
Tendai
Biti
in
Zimbabwe
Post
published
in:
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