SADC now part of the problem

The regional bodys leaders have demonstrated on numerous occasions that they are utterly spineless when faced with a recalcitrant Robert Mugabe on his anti-colonialism hobby-horse.

Their last meeting in Kinshasa, where they could have prevented the current impasse in the GNU, was a case in point. Their inaction at that meeting is, in fact, what has forced the MDCs hand and resulted in the disengagement. The MDC had nowhere else to go.

SADC is supposed to be the guarantor of the Global Political Agreement but they have persistently sidestepped the MDCs legitimate complaints about Zanu (PF)s non-compliance while entertaining Mugabes ludicrous sanctions posturing. Their pro-Mugabe bias is evident to all. Over the past five years, this editorial column has catalogued countless instances of SADC failing the people of Zimbabwe. Their record of kowtowing to Mugabe, for whatever reason, has been well catalogued. We had hoped that with the departure of Thabo Mbeki and the advent of Jacob Zuma, there would be a new approach a more even-handed way of dealing with Zimbabwe. But our hopes have been dashed.

We were disappointed to note that even the South African officials assisting the Troikas foreign ministers, who were in Zimbabwe last week, were from the original Mbeki team. What we can hope in, however, is a meeting taking place today thousands of kilometres away in Washington where Botswanas President Ian Khama is meeting US President Barack Obama to talk about good governance in Africa. We understand Zimbabwe will feature prominently on the agenda. Khamas principled stance on refusing to recognise Mugabe as president of Zimbabwe after he stole the 2008 election has been internationally commended. And he has already said that if the MDC pulls out of the GNU, Mugabe will no longer be the legitimate president. His meeting with Obama, whose stance on Zimbabwe is similarly principled, will have far-reaching consequences. We are holding our breath for that. Zimbabwes time must surely come soon.