The party wanted to have President Jacob Zuma removed as the facilitator of the Zimbabwe crisis, to have SADC leaders endorse an unreasonable call for elections in 2011 and to focus the Summit’s attention on the ‘targeted sanctions’ debate.
We had undertaken the Luanda advocacy mission amid much trepidation – given that the summit was taking place in Angola whose President Eduardo Dos Santos, and ruling MPLA party are perceived to be traditional allies of President Mugabe and Zanu (PF). Our fear was that the outcome of the summit would undermine progress made so far within SADC towards credible, free and fair elections in Zimbabwe.
Come of age
The outcome of the summit, as reflected in the communiqué released at the end of the meeting, confounded our fears and showed us that in many ways SADC has come of age – particularly with regard to Zimbabwe.
What remains lacking is more oomph to ensure timely implementation of decisions taken. The SADC leaders elected Zuma as chair of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defense and Security Cooperation – with President Kikwete of Tanzania as his deputy.
They confirmed that Zuma will continue as facilitator for Zimbabwe while taking on additional responsibilities to chair the Troika. In fact, as far as we know, Zanu (PF) never formally asked for Zuma to step aside as facilitator – despite intense backroom lobbying.
The Summit ‘urged the parties to the Global Political Agreement to remain committed to the implementation of the Agreement and to finalize the roadmap for resolving outstanding issues,’ and ‘reaffirmed its decision of the Sandton Extra-Ordinary Summit and urged the Troika to appoint a team of officials to join the facilitation team and work with the JOMIC to ensure monitoring, evaluation and implementation of the GPA.’
Define action
The communiqué ended on the vague note that the ‘Summit will review progress on the implementation of GPA and take appropriate action.’ It is SADC action on Zimbabwe that must be clearly defined to bring pressure on the parties to deliver on numerous promises and undertakings.
SADC’s failure to deal decisively wit this will mean that the political conflict will continue to occupy the leaders, diverting attention from more pressing issues of regional economic integration, peace and stability.
An unresolved political conflict in Zimbabwe is a security threat to the entire region. SADC leaders should swiftly bring the Zimbabwe question to finality with the full knowledge that it is in their own interests to properly address the matter.
Post published in: News