Despite Zanu (PF)’s public remonstrations against Zuma continuing as facilitator ostensibly because he could not wear two hats of facilitator and SADC Troika chair, SADC executive secretary Tomaz Salamao told reporters in Luanda on Tuesday that Zuma would continue as facilitator and that Zanu (PF) had not formally raised a complaint regarding President Zuma’s facilitation despite its grandstanding back home. He however said that any party is free to raise objections in the ongoing full SADC summit.
Salamao was speaking after the SADC Organ Troika held its summit Tuesday night at the Talatona Convention Centre in Luanda from 6.30pm ending around 9.30pm. The Troika summit was attended by President Zuma in his capacity as Zimbabwe facilitator. President Rupiah Banda, who was supposed to hand over the Troika chairmanship to the incoming Organ Troika chairperson, Zuma, was represented at the summit by his vice-president. Banda could not attend on account of election campaigns in Zambia. Amanda Guebuza of Mozambique also attended.
Guebuza is an outgoing member of Troika and from today Mozambique will no longer be member of the Troika. The Troika summit was also attended by Zimbabwe facilitators, Ambassador Lindiwe Zulu, Mac Maharaj and Charles Ngcakula as well as SADC Executive Secretary Dr. Salomao.
Zimbabwe principals did not attend but were reportedly informed of the Troika Summit outcomes.
The SADC Organ Troika noted ‘progress’ on the Zimbabwe political conflict saying the parties are getting closer to agreeing to an election date as well as a date for the constitutional referendum and that the outgoing Organ Troika chair will present a report on Zimbabwe to the full SADC Summit that opened Wednesday. Zanu (PF) was reportedly resisting the move to have Zimbabwe discussed in full summit Salamao said: "Organ Troika also noted that there are continuing disagreements on issues related to the elections roadmap and the implementation of the GPA which the facilitator has been tasked to continue working on together Zimbabwe."
Dewa Mavhinga, the Regional Information and Advocacy Coordinator for the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, told The Zimbabwean from Luanda that he feared that SADC could support a premature discussion of election dates in the absence of critical reforms that guarantee prevention of violence, independent electoral management institutions and the holding of free and fair elections with the result that Zimbabwe will go into another sham election whose outcome SADC may endorse.
"We understand that Zanu (PF) is resisting the appointment of SADC Organ Troika representatives to work with the Joint Monitoring and
Implementation Committee (JOMIC) on grounds of sovereignty and also resisting SADC observers on the same grounds," Mavhinga said. "We reiterate our previous demands that SADC itself, in the context of facilitation, must certify that Zimbabwe is ready for elections and must supervise those elections to prevent violence and to ensure full compliance with SADC principles on the conduct on the conduct of democratic elections. We strongly urge SADC to consider more significant pressure on Zimbabwe to ensure compliance with its resolutions."
Mugabe was said to have arrived in Luanda Tuesday evening accompanied by Justice minister Patrick Chinamasa, Defence minister Emerson Mnangagwa among a coterie of other senior Zanu (PF) officials.
Contrary to claims by Mugabe's spokesman George Charamba that Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangiraui and smaller MDC leader Welshman Ncube were not formally invited to the Summit, they were both formally invited infact.
Following the SADC Organ Troika Summit, The Zimbabwean understands Prime Minister Tsvangirai went for a dinner meeting with Angolan president Eduardo Dos Santos to brief him on concerns regarding the elections roadmap and the resolution of the Zimbabwe political conflict.
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