News / National
Tsvangirai writes to Jacob Zuma
15 May 2014 at 14:19hrs | Views
South Africa's largely peaceful and credible presidential election was a rare example of a functioning democracy in Africa and should be a model for the continent, Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has said.
Much attention in Africa and elsewhere was focused on South Africa's fifth democratic elections after a heavily disputed election in South Africa's northern neighbour Zimbabwe tarnished southern Africa's democratic credentials.
President Jacob Zuma of the ruling African National Congress overcame vigorous opposition to be declared the winner, with his ANC garnering 62,2 percent of the vote, and the next largest party, the Democratic Alliance, securing 22,2 percent and a new party founded by expelled ANC firebrand Julius Malema, the Economic Freedom Fighters, getting 6,4 percent of the vote after the closely-fought election in one of Africa's biggest economies.
"I write to express my hearty and warmest congratulations to you and to the ANC for winning the just-ended elections," Tsvangirai said in a copy of a letter to Zuma seen by the Daily News.
"On behalf of the MDC and on my own behalf, I wish to congratulate the people of South Africa, the ANC and you in particular for putting in place mechanisms to ensure that the people of South Africa expressed themselves in a truly free, fair and peaceful manner.
"We in the MDC and the people of Zimbabwe have learnt important lessons in the way you complied with Sadc guidelines in seeing to it that the people's free expression was not needlessly shortchanged and that the outcome was legitimate."
The 15-nation Southern African Development Community, which helped broker a power-sharing deal after disputed elections in Zimbabwe in 2008, backed President Robert Mugabe's re-election in the July 31, 2013 vote, a move at odds with the view of the United States and the European Union, which said that the recent polls were flawed.
In contrast, international observers said the South African vote were credible, in contrast with Zimbabwe, where democracy was battered by a steeply titled playing field in favour of Mugabe's Zanu PF and other violations that effectively precluded any chance of a genuinely-competitive election.
Mugabe and opposition leader Tsvangirai have been deadlocked for the past 10 months over the disputed election.
The independent election watchdog the Zimbabwe Election Support Network said in its critique of last year's Zimbabwe election that registration flaws by the State-run Electoral Commission may have disenfranchised up to a million people out of 6,4 million registered voters.
"We saw a truly Independent Electoral Commission that ensured a smooth voting process where there was no State-sponsored violence and where all political players were accorded equal coverage in the media." Tsvangirai's letter to Zuma said.
Former Ghanaian president John Kufuor, who led an election monitoring group to South Africa from the African Union, which includes several African states, said the electoral process was generally credible, while ordinary South Africans also hailed the vote.
"The election held by of South Africa sets the bar high for African peers," Kufuor said.
"But we believe that all countries in Africa should respect their own constitution while providing an environment for transparent, and accountable elections," he said.
Tsvangirai said he "learnt that democracy was not necessarily what you get out of a process, but what you put in to ensure the sovereign and free expression of the people's will."
"Once again, congratulations to you and the people of South Africa for showing the way on how to conduct an election without needless disputes and contestation on both process and the outcome," Tsvangirai said.
"We hope that others in Africa and beyond will equally ensure that the people's will is always guaranteed and respected. Once again, congratulations on your victory," the former Zimbabwe premier said.
President Zuma said that he would use his fresh election mandate to foster "inclusive economic growth and job creation," in part through $80 billion in infrastructure spending.
"There is a lot that we have to do and we are determined to do more," said Zuma, who returns to office for a last term and amid a race to succeed him in five years.
Cyril Ramaphosa, a union leader turned business mogul who is now the party's deputy president, is among candidates to succeed Zuma as ANC leader in five years, together with the SA president's ex-wife, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, chairwoman of the African Union's executive arm and South Africa's former Home Affairs minister.
Much attention in Africa and elsewhere was focused on South Africa's fifth democratic elections after a heavily disputed election in South Africa's northern neighbour Zimbabwe tarnished southern Africa's democratic credentials.
President Jacob Zuma of the ruling African National Congress overcame vigorous opposition to be declared the winner, with his ANC garnering 62,2 percent of the vote, and the next largest party, the Democratic Alliance, securing 22,2 percent and a new party founded by expelled ANC firebrand Julius Malema, the Economic Freedom Fighters, getting 6,4 percent of the vote after the closely-fought election in one of Africa's biggest economies.
"I write to express my hearty and warmest congratulations to you and to the ANC for winning the just-ended elections," Tsvangirai said in a copy of a letter to Zuma seen by the Daily News.
"On behalf of the MDC and on my own behalf, I wish to congratulate the people of South Africa, the ANC and you in particular for putting in place mechanisms to ensure that the people of South Africa expressed themselves in a truly free, fair and peaceful manner.
"We in the MDC and the people of Zimbabwe have learnt important lessons in the way you complied with Sadc guidelines in seeing to it that the people's free expression was not needlessly shortchanged and that the outcome was legitimate."
The 15-nation Southern African Development Community, which helped broker a power-sharing deal after disputed elections in Zimbabwe in 2008, backed President Robert Mugabe's re-election in the July 31, 2013 vote, a move at odds with the view of the United States and the European Union, which said that the recent polls were flawed.
In contrast, international observers said the South African vote were credible, in contrast with Zimbabwe, where democracy was battered by a steeply titled playing field in favour of Mugabe's Zanu PF and other violations that effectively precluded any chance of a genuinely-competitive election.
Mugabe and opposition leader Tsvangirai have been deadlocked for the past 10 months over the disputed election.
The independent election watchdog the Zimbabwe Election Support Network said in its critique of last year's Zimbabwe election that registration flaws by the State-run Electoral Commission may have disenfranchised up to a million people out of 6,4 million registered voters.
"We saw a truly Independent Electoral Commission that ensured a smooth voting process where there was no State-sponsored violence and where all political players were accorded equal coverage in the media." Tsvangirai's letter to Zuma said.
Former Ghanaian president John Kufuor, who led an election monitoring group to South Africa from the African Union, which includes several African states, said the electoral process was generally credible, while ordinary South Africans also hailed the vote.
"The election held by of South Africa sets the bar high for African peers," Kufuor said.
"But we believe that all countries in Africa should respect their own constitution while providing an environment for transparent, and accountable elections," he said.
Tsvangirai said he "learnt that democracy was not necessarily what you get out of a process, but what you put in to ensure the sovereign and free expression of the people's will."
"Once again, congratulations to you and the people of South Africa for showing the way on how to conduct an election without needless disputes and contestation on both process and the outcome," Tsvangirai said.
"We hope that others in Africa and beyond will equally ensure that the people's will is always guaranteed and respected. Once again, congratulations on your victory," the former Zimbabwe premier said.
President Zuma said that he would use his fresh election mandate to foster "inclusive economic growth and job creation," in part through $80 billion in infrastructure spending.
"There is a lot that we have to do and we are determined to do more," said Zuma, who returns to office for a last term and amid a race to succeed him in five years.
Cyril Ramaphosa, a union leader turned business mogul who is now the party's deputy president, is among candidates to succeed Zuma as ANC leader in five years, together with the SA president's ex-wife, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, chairwoman of the African Union's executive arm and South Africa's former Home Affairs minister.
Source - dailynews
