It is Critical for Zimbabweans to have Free and Fair Elections, says Minister Dlamini Zuma

New York- South African Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, says it is critical for Zimbabweans to have free and fair elections in which the people of Zimbabwe can freely express their will.

Minister Dlamini Zuma was answering questions to reporters during her visit to New York where she led the South African delegation to the UN Security Council debate on Women in Peace and Security chaired by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. USA is the current President of the UN Security Council. In this regard, the USA convened a round-table discussion on the current situation in Zimbabwe [see here].

Answering to a question whether the Round Table discussion on Zimbabwe made good progress in voicing the concerns of the global community for free and fair elections in Zimbabwe and whether the UN is doing enough to ensure free and fair elections, Minister Dlamini Zuma said "Well, I think that it is in all our interests, and that of Zimbabwe and its people, to have free and fair elections. It is important for the Zimbabwean people to be able to express their choices and be able to express their will so that the results do indeed reflect the true will of the Zimbabwean people. So I think we are all at one when it comes to this. This is very important".

"Secondly, the UN has sent its Special Envoy - I am not sure whether he has left Zimbabwe already but he has not returned to the UN yet - so he may still be in Zimbabwe or en-route to the UN so he will be able to advise the UN, having been on the ground and having discussed with the authorities and the opposition in Zimbabwe to be able to brief the UN on what is going on and what he thinks needs to be done" continued Minister Dlamini Zuma.

"And off course, it is also important to have international observers. As you know, SADC decided to send many more observers this time and some are already on the ground and others are en-route because SADC decided it was important to have many observers and that they should not arrive just for the elections but to be part of trying to create an environment that would allow for free and fair elections and we have also encouraged other regions - ECOWAS and so on - and whoever else has been invited to observe the elections to send as many people as possible so that we can be off assistance in creating an enabling environment to allow the Zimbabweans to express themselves freely and fairly" concluded Minister Dlamini Zuma.

Statement issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Pretoria, June 20 2008