Among a number of issues, the Troika lambasted Zimbabwe’s octogenarian leader and ordered him to stop his violence against political opponents and implement the many outstanding issues of the GPA.
Mugabe was also told to stop his hate speech against the MDC and allow personal freedoms in Zimbabwe. The Troika also resolved that it would second three more people to work with the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (JOMIC) on outstanding issues of the GPA, alongside President Jacob Zuma’s facilitation team on Zimbabwe and report back on progress regularly.
Although the communiqué presented after the SADC’s Johannesburg extra-ordinary summit Sunday night said that the regional bloc “noted” the Livingstone resolutions, the organization’s executive secretary, Tomaz Salomao, told reporters the summit had endorsed them.
“The Troika is a Treaty institute of the SADC summit and its decisions are final,” said Salomao, responding to reporters after the summit.
“No-one has the power to rescind decisions made by a full Troika Summit, hence the SADC summit can only note the decisions made by the Troika. That is why we are following through on the Troika’s decisions to second an extra three-person team to assist in the mediation in Zimbabwe. It is because the Troika resolutions are binding.”
According to sources who attended the meeting, Mugabe vainly tried to have the SADC leaders revisit the Livingstone resolutions during his presentation, said to have taken more than 45 minutes.
“The old man rambled on for more than 45 minutes, trying to give reasons why the Livingstone resolutions should not be adopted by the SADC leaders,” said a source.
“He tried to claim that the resolutions were not fair on him because only Tsvangirai was listened to and Zambian President, Rupiah Banda, did not listen to the Zanu (PF) side, but all that was in vain. He was still blamed for the slow reforms taking place in that country and told to implement the GPA. He was also warned against attacking the SADC mediator as he did after the Livingstone summit.”
The Johannesburg SADC communiqué, which mandated the Organ Troika to continue to assist Zimbabwe in the full implementation of the GPA, also urged the organ to appoint their representatives as “soon as possible” to participate in the JOMIC.
“The Summit mandated the Secretariat to mobilize resources for JOMIC for it to discharge its functions,” read part of the communiqué.
“Summit urged parties to the GPA to move faster in the implementation of the GPA and create a conducive environment to the holding of elections that will be free and fair, under conditions of a level political field.”
The mainstream MDC led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, which on the eve of the summit called on SADC leaders to endorse the Livingstone resolutions, was happy afterwards, with its Secretary-general, Tendai Biti and International Relations Secretary, Jameson Timba, expressing satisfaction.
“We are very pleased with the outcome of this summit because it did just what we had asked for. We wanted the endorsement of the Livingstone resolutions, which was done and if Zanu (PF) members are really Zimbabweans, they must also be happy with the outcome because it brings a way forward and shows that the SADC is very serious about resolving the Zimbabwe crisis.”
Post published in: Zimbabwe News