SADC must stand firm on Zim – Ramsamy

Former SADC Secretary General, Dr Prega Ramsamy, told delegates at a political debate organized by the Institute for Democratic Alternative for Zimbabwe last week that the failure to solve Zimbabwes political crisis was caused by SADCs comradeship with the regional blocks founding political parties.
It was vital that new leaders emerging in SADC had a vision of developing the region, he said. And old horses in the regional bloc should understand that the world was changing. There was now an economic revolution underway.
He said it was natural that the founding liberation parties in the region, like ANC of South Africa, SWAPO of Namibia, FRELIMO of Mozambique and
Zanu (PF) had a common understanding and operated in solidarity with one another.
But the leadership of SADC is changing with new leaders emerging who really have a new mission. These new leaders, while respecting the heroes of the liberation struggles for their sacrifices and their unclenching commitment to see a liberated Southern Africa, want to take SADC region to a higher growth path – where each citizen has equal right and opportunity to participate in that process, said Ramsamy.
Since 2000 the regional bloc had defended Zimbabwe at its own expense, but the recent Troika meeting had at last flexed it muscles.
This move by SADC to remind the GPA principals to abide by their political pact had not gone well with Zanu (PF), which now views SADC as an agent of regime change.
SADC stood firm against the pressure from the west for regime change in Zimbabwe, arguing that any change in government can only be through democratic, free and fair elections. During the early period of the crisis SADC did not give itself any mediation role. It was only when the matter was referred to the AU in 2008 that SADC was given the responsibility of mediating a solution to the crisis. This responsibility came with a number of challenges, which SADC is still grappling with, he explained.