Mugabe’s Party Opposes Region’s Stand on Crisis

SW Radio Africa (London)

Alex Bell

20 May 2011

ZANU PF has demanded that recent strong resolutions on Zimbabwe, adopted by the regional security organ the Troika, be overturned, calling on the Summit of Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders to reverse the position.

The summit of regional leaders got underway in Namibia on Friday. The meeting was unlikely to include any substantive discussion on Zimbabwe, after the regional mediator in the political crisis, South Africa’s Jacob Zuma, pulled out of the event. However, it is understood that Zimbabwe did feature on the agenda of talks.

Dewa Mavhinga from the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, which is attending the summit, told SW Radio Africa on Friday that SADC leaders were set to discuss recent resolutions adopted by the SADC Troika in March.

That summit in Livingstone, Zambia, had condemned the lack of progress in the unity government, in the first meaningful criticism of ZANU PF the region has ever issued. The Troika called for an end to violence and intimidation, and called for the drafting of an election roadmap towards a credible and violence free poll in Zimbabwe.

ZANU PF had been left visibly stung by the Troika’s position, which has been praised for being much tougher than the usual SADC policy of quiet diplomacy. Robert Mugabe’s party this week also launched a regional offensive trying to get support, and a contingent of party members have since called for these SADC resolutions to be overturned.

Mavhinga explained that the party has been on a “massive propaganda drive,” trying to “mislead the region that conditions are right for an election this year.” The party brought in a mob of supporters and members, who were been handing out copies of a dossier said to contain ‘evidence’ of MDC violence. Mavhinga explained that “much work needs to be done to counter this propaganda.” He added that civil society hoped the SADC Summit would, none the less, endorse the Troika resolutions and put on public record a clear timeframe of its plan of action in Zimbabwe.

SADC has since officially deferred the Zimbabwe issue until June. The matter will now be discussed on the sidelines of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) summit, scheduled for June 11 in Johannesburg.

Mavhinga meanwhile said that the fate of the SADC Tribunal was also up for discussion, with ZANU PF urging that the court’s ruling on Robert Mugabe’s land grab campaign be overturned. The court ruled in 2008 that the exercise was unlawful, but the Mugabe government has refused to honour the rulings, insisting the court has no jurisdiction in Zimbabwe.

Controversially, a SADC summit last year decided to review the role and functions of the court, rather than be forced into taking action against the Zim government for its contempt. That review has since been concluded, and has upheld the court’s decision and has further stated that the Tribunal was properly constituted. The report was presented to a SADC Council of Ministers meeting last month, who were said to have endorsed it.

But according to Zimbabwe’s state media the Ministers reportedly agreed that the Tribunal’s rulings were null and void. Zimbabwe’s Justice Minister and ZANU PF top dog, Patrick Chinamasa has in recent days insisted the Tribunal’s rulings must be overturned.

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