Regional Leaders Expected to Press Mugabe

Financial Gazette (Harare)

Clemence Manyukwe

13 May 2011

The Zimbabwe crisis is expected to come under the spotlight at a Southern African Development Community (SADC) extraordinary summit scheduled for next week, with analysts warning of a break from the past as the regional bloc makes decisive decisions to end an impasse between President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

Stakes were already raised after South African President Jacob Zuma, again in a break with the past, submitted a scathing report to the SADC Troika in which he said SADC leaders should impress upon local political leaders that Zimbabwe’s protracted political situation could “no longer be tolerated”.

ZANU-PF seems to have failed to pick itself up from the Troika setbacks, with the issue of elections fuelling divisions, a development that will see the liberation party going to the regional gathering in a weaker position.

The SADC Troika had recommended that the forthcoming summit should review progress on the implementation of the global political agreement (GPA) “and take appropriate action” where implementation was slack.

There are reports that SADC could take drastic action against Zimbabwe’s political gladiators, although Zuma’s international relations advisor, Lindiwe Zulu, could not state what type of action the regional block could take against Zimbabwe’s political protagonists, saying this was up to SADC leaders.

Sources this week said ZANU-PF would use next week’s extraordinary summit to challenge some of the Troika’s resolutions, especially the one on the appointment of SADC officials to assist the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (JOMIC) in the implementation of GPA.

On Tuesday, ZANU-PF’s secretary for information and publicity, Rugare Gumbo could not comment on what his party position was ahead of the meeting, saying he could not “pre-empt” issues before the Politburo meeting that was set to end late yesterday.

Zulu said SADC officials who are to be part of an expanded monitoring team were yet to be appointed because the arrangement is subject to approval by the coming summit.

“It is subject to approval because it’s an addition to the roles and responsibilities that are already in place,” Zulu said.

On the way forward following last week’s meeting between negotiators and facilitators held in South Africa, Zuma’a advisor said amendments were made to the election roadmap and the document would be submitted to the principals.

She added that the facilitation team would also submit a report to Zuma, who will in turn decide whether or not a meeting with the principals would be required before the extraordinary SADC session.

During the March 31 SADC Troika summit, the South African leader, who had pledged continuity in terms of his country’s foreign policy before his election to the Presidency in May 2009, delivered a shocker when he dumped former South African president Thabo Mbeki’s quiet diplomacy to the crisis in Zimbabwe.

“It is time that SADC must speak with one voice in impressing to all the parties concerned that the situation can no longer be tolerated.

“The focus that Zimbabwean parties have placed on elections without creating the necessary conducive climate for those elections is an unfortunate side-track,” Zuma said in his report that drew an angry reaction from ZANU-PF.

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