AMID growing concerns about Zimbabwe's worsening human rights record, citizens and civil society actors from Southern Africa's 16 countries are meeting in Harare to deliberate on issues which they hope to present in a communique to the region's Presidents who are expected in the capital for their annual SADC summit.
Dubbed 'SADC People's Conference,' the meeting has attracted attention with its focus on human rights, informal business, transparency, corruption, business and investment.
Calls to have the Presidents' summit moved to another 'worthy' country were ignored after Zimbabwean authorities launched a crackdown on dissent, arresting over 70 pro-democracy actors and opposition political figures suspected of organizing protests.
Cases of abduction, torture and state security's disregard for basic rights were highlighted as the reason why the SADC Summit should have been moved from Zimbabwe, where President Emmerson Mnangagwa is expected to take over leadership of the regional bloc.
The event is being hosted by Southern Africa People's Solidarity Network (SAPSN) with support from various civil society organisations (CSOs) such as ZIMCODD, Transparency International and vendors initiative VISET.
Speaking at its launch in Harare SAPSN Secretary General Janet Zhou said improving governance issues in the region meant standing up to a state-centred approach taken by members of the regional body.
"If we are going to reclaim development for the SADC region, we need to challenge the state-centric nature of the SADC countries," said Zhou.
"Why we gather year in and year out parallel to the SADC Summit is to remind our leaders that leadership is only leadership if you respect the rights of your citizens.
"The Zimbabwean problem is not a unique situation; we have organized this summit in other difficult environments and other difficult contexts and we have managed to discuss and energise each other."
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State security agents have been flooded in the streets of Harare as fears abound that opposition actors and civil society actors could have organized protests against Mnangagwa.
Military and police officers in anti-riot trucks have been seen crisscrossing the capital as an intimidatory measure, to deter any would-be protester from taking part in demonstrations.
Ruling Zanu PF Director of Information Farai Marapira is on record promising any protestors that they were ready to 'deal with them decidedly.'
"The Zimbabwean situation is what we felt but we had to have this summit because if we had shied away it would have set a precedence," said Dumezweni Dlamini a delegate from eSwatini.
"There cannot be any SADC Heads of State Summit without any convergence of the people on the ground.
"They have to understand why it is important that these summits have to go hand in hand, they have to respect the convergence of the people."
Asked whether SADC heads of state would consider their communique, VISET Director Samuel Wadzanai Mangoma said: "They are our leaders, we are the people, we expect them to respect it."
