Opposition MDC-T’s South Africa branch has castigated President Robert Mugabe’s presence in that country on African Union business.

The party called on AU to ask Mugabe to step down from his position as AU Chair immediately.

Below is the full statement;

We the Movement for Democratic Change led by Morgan Tsvangirai, in South Africa are gathered here today to express our displeasure, at the presence of Robert Mugabe.

Leaders from the African continent  have not only allowed Mugabe to be  the AU chair, representing the whole African  continent  for that matter despite  the continued violation of human rights by his Zanu-PF  led government.

Millions of Zimbabweans have suffered under his despotic rule for the past 35 years. Thousands have been tortured, killed and disappeared under his rule, while the African continent continues to applaud him.

This has been amid, a series of election thefts, which have driven our party to boycott elections, insisting on  elections with proper reforms. Elections in Zimbabwe have been fraught with irregularities, marred by fraud, violence and intimidation.

Against the denial of a vote of Zimbabweans in the diaspora, who have continually been denied their basic human right to vote.

We would like the AU to practice the democracy they continue to talk about by not allowing a 91 year old dictator to oppress his own people and turn a blind eye to what is happening in Zimbabwe.

This has not only caused untold suffering to the people of Zimbabwe by forcing them out of their homeland but a has also made us  a burden to other African countries such as South Africa.

We urge the African Union to practice what they preach by starting to practice and implement the democratic principles that they preach about and show the world that the AU is not just a talk shop but  a serious continental body.

We urge the AU to ask Mr. Mugabe to step down from his position as AU Chair immediately.

We then urge the AU to ensure that there is a smooth transitional government, that is neutral and non partisan that will ensure that there will be full electoral reforms that will pave way for proper, genuine  democratic elections in Zimbabwe, (and not the sham by-elections that were held in Zimbabwe recently, which  were basically about Mugabe’s Zanu-PF contesting against itself with election violence coupled with resultant voter apathy).
by Thobekile Zhou. Source: Byo24News