Jameson Timba, the minister of state in the Prime Minister’s office used an online social network to update the public on the day’s events. He tweeted: “SADC: No elections without constitution and reforms. So no elections in 2012, ZANU PF position had no takers. History is on our side, Aluta continua.”
The ZANU PF leader has been calling for elections before implementing GPA reforms. Regional leaders meeting in Luanda Friday took the opportunity to discuss heightening tensions in Zimbabwe. They also focused on the next steps Zimbabwe will take before elections can be held.
Zimbabwe had been on the agenda of the SADC troika on Politics, Defence and Security which started on Friday morning. Priscila Misihairabwi-Mushonga, the Regional Integration and International Cooperation Minister and secretary-general of the MDC formation led by Welshman Ncube, took to Facebook in the morning to signal the start of the Troika meeting.
“We are now in the meeting will update,” she wrote on her Facebook wall.
Earlier, Timba, who is also Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s foreign policy had tweeted that “two crunch SADC meetings will decide the fate of Zimbabwe’s transition to democracy today (Friday).”
“History is on the right side,” Timba added.
A full SADC summit is set to endorse the Troika findings when they get a briefing from South African President, Jacob Zuma, who chairs the tripartite grouping. That summit got underway Friday afternoon.
The regional bloc had found itself in the middle of a political tug-of-war between ZANU PF and the two MDC formations on the timing of the next election in Zimbabwe.
Analysts had long feared that any election without reforms will see a repeat of the 2008 violence that the MDC-T claims killed over 500 of their supporters and displaced thousands.
Tsvangirai, who flew to Luanda from China, is accompanied by his deputy Thokozani Khupe, Finance minister Tendai Biti, Energy minister Elton Mangoma and Timba.
Ncube is accompanied by Mushonga and National Healing minister Moses Mzila-Ndlovu. Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara is also in Luanda, as one of the three principals.
SW Radio Africa News
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