Mthwakazi opposes Zimbabwe's bid for UNSC seat

The Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) has written to the United Nations objecting to Zimbabwe's campaign for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2027–2028 term.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa officially launched Zimbabwe's bid in Harare last week, vowing to advance global peace, counter-terrorism efforts, and the interests of the African continent under the theme "Advancing 21st Century Solutions for Global Peace and Security through Multilateralism." The campaign has already received endorsements from both the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU).

But in a strongly worded letter dated September 18 and addressed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, MRP leader Mqondisi Moyo urged the international community to block Zimbabwe's candidacy, citing unresolved human rights violations and a history of state-sanctioned violence.

"We urge the international community to critically evaluate Zimbabwe's suitability for such a role in light of its profound credibility deficit, historical human rights abuses, and systemic governance failures," wrote Moyo.

The letter, also copied to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Human Rights Council, the United Nations Development Programme, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the International Federation for Human Rights, points to the 1980s Gukurahundi massacres as central to the party's objection.

Between 1983 and 1987, the North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade was deployed in Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, and parts of the Midlands, leaving an estimated 20,000 civilians dead. Researchers have categorised the operation—largely targeting Ndebele and Kalanga communities linked to the opposition Zapu party—as crimes against humanity, and in some cases genocide.

"The Security Council, entrusted with maintaining international peace and security, cannot justifiably include a government credibly accused of perpetrating mass atrocities against its own citizens," Moyo argued.

Zimbabwe previously held non-permanent UNSC seats during the 1983–1984 and 1991–1992 terms. MRP said the country's presence on the council during the height of Gukurahundi was an insult to survivors and warned that granting it another seat without accountability would undermine the body's credibility.

"Condition any future UNSC candidacy on demonstrable progress toward justice, truth-telling, and reparations," Moyo added, while calling for an independent truth and accountability mechanism anchored in survivor testimony and forensic evidence.

The next UNSC elections are scheduled for June 2026, when the UN General Assembly will vote to fill 10 rotating non-permanent seats that serve two-year terms. A two-thirds majority is required for a country to secure a seat.

If successful, Zimbabwe would sit alongside the council's five permanent members—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.