COPE has welcomed the resignation of Robert Mugabe as President of Zimbabwe with leader Mosiuoa Lekota, saying the party was rejoicing with the people of Zimbabwe “at least to the extent that it has been a bloodless departure.”
Lekota warned, however, that Zimbabwe remained far from ‘Uhuru’.
“There is an outstanding issue and that relates to the abuse of the Human Rights of citizens of Zimbabwe by Mugabe and his regime. This is a matter that only the people of Zimbabwe can deal with it within the dictates of their national constitution. Nothing less than a collective effort of all sectors of Zimbabwean society will return Zimbabwe to a sense of normalcy,” Lekota said.
Of critical importance was a return to multi-party democracy, constitutionalism and concerted efforts to reignite the economy and to clamp down on institutionalised corruption.
He said that Southern Africa had been rocked by the emancipatory events of the last few days and warned that there were “stark lessons to learn for those that have dictatorial, dynasty, non-democratic and corrupt tendencies.”