Robert Mugabes regime on Wednesday was forced into a humiliating climb down, following a series of attacks they have been launching at the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and South African President Jacob Zuma During a meeting of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security in Zambia last week, Zuma and other leaders cornered Mugabe over his refusal to fully implement the coalition agreement that kept him in power. The grouping later issued a statement demanding an immediate end to violence, intimidation, hate speech and harassment.
Furious at the unexpected rebuke Mugabe launched a scathing attack, accusing SADC of trying to interfere in Zimbabwes internal affairs. He claimed Zuma was just a facilitator to the dialogue and cannot prescribe anything. We prescribe what we should do in accordance with our own laws and our agreement. Mugabe went as far as saying our neighbours cannot dictate to us. We will resist that.
Over the weekend the state owned Sunday Mail newspaper published an editorial branding Zuma erratic and disaster-prone. They described him as a “liability, not only to South Africa, but also to the rest of the continent”. Another article said Zuma is now tainted beyond recovery by the Libyan situation” after his country voted on the UN Security Council in favour of imposing a no-fly zone.
But the international response to this criticism suddenly made ZANU PF realize the attacks would isolate them in the region and Mugabes spokesman, George Charamba, was deployed on Wednesday to do the firefighting. He took out a full page supplement in the state owned Herald newspaper, claiming the views of the Sunday Mail editorial did not reflect the views of the government.
Turning to Mugabes own comments after the SADC troika summit, Charamba claimed Mugabes address was related to the procedures and style used during the proceedings. “Zimbabwe has very little difficulties with the (SADC) communiqu itself. In fact, it has no difficulties at all, merely cautionary concerns with one or two of its proposals,” he added.
But those familiar with the way the state media works are fully aware that nothing is ever published without the official sanction of the government. It has even been suggested that Charamba himself is the de facto editor of the state owned Herald and Sunday Mail newspapers. Journalists working at those papers have in the past confirmed that sensitive political stories have to go through Charamba first.
Post published in: News