The presidents of Mozambique, Tanzania and Namibia will join Zuma at the meeting in Pretoria, according to Zuma’s International Relations advisor, Lindiwe Zulu.
"The heads of state will go through the reports already coming in from the ground, from political parties and the SADC election observers who started arriving this week," Ms Zulu said. "Complaints are being made… but it’s difficult to assess them without a meeting."
The meeting comes amid reports that Zuma, as the SADC appointed facilitator in Zimbabwe’s political crisis, is ‘unhappy’ with the current situation in Zimbabwe. Zulu, whose phone again went unanswered on Friday, has been quoted as saying that Zuma and his facilitation team is “concerned because things on the ground (in Zimbabwe) are not looking good."
Saturday’s Troika meeting is expected to tackle some of the complaints Zulu has referred to. This includes the concerns raised by the MDC-T, which wrote to SADC urging it to meet and review the situation in Zimbabwe and whether it will result in a credible poll. MDC-T Secretary General Tendai Biti said during a press conference that his party has had no choice but to return to SADC, because of ZANU PF’s ongoing refusal to implement the key changes that would ensure the July 31st poll is credible.
Civil society groups and international human rights groups have also been pressuring SADC over Zimbabwe’s polls. Amnesty International last week also wrote to SADC, as well as to the Africa Union (AU) warning that the credibility of the July 31st poll is in doubt.
Political analyst Professor David Moore said SADC is unlikely to call for the election to be cancelled, saying there are few other options for Zimbabwe at the moment. He explained that SADC has not yet set the precedent of actively interfering in political processes in its member states, and it won’t set the precedent with Zimbabwe.
“This is the thing about domestic policies and SADC will always hesitate in interfering where they are expected to. So I think SADC is likely to examine its electoral guidelines (at the meeting), but it won’t call the election off,” Moore said.
He explained that SADC leaders are more likely beginning to put together a post-election plan for Zimbabwe, which could result in another Government of National Unity.
“If the evidence is overwhelming that there is a groundswell of support for the MDC, but the election doesn’t reflect this, then SADC will have to come up with a plan. So they are likely discussing the possibility of a better transitional arrangement than before,” Moore said.
Meanwhile ZANU PF Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa will be attending an AU meeting in Ethiopia this weekend, where is he expected to give his party’s own view on the current electoral situation. Zimbabwe was invited by the AU commission to attend the meeting that will also discuss forthcoming elections in Madagascar, Togo and Mali. Professor Moore said that Chinamasa’s mission to the AU was to preempt what was being discussed by SADC this weekend, with ZANU PF determined to have the poll on July 31st. – SW Radio Africa
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