Mugabe and Zuma in heated exchange at SADC

The state media in Zimbabwe might be claiming victory for Zanu PF at the weekend SADC summit in South Africa but Nehanda Radio.com can report an entirely different picture after Robert Mugabe and Jacob Zuma engaged in a heated exchange.

What started off as diplomatic deliberations deteriorated after Mugabe challenged the facilitators report presented to the SADC Troika meeting in Zambia at the end of March. An angry Zuma is said to have bluntly told Mugabe;

“I do not manufacture things, my reports are based on things that are happening in the country, based on facts.” Desperate to save face Zanu PF also claimed they had not been given a copy of the report before-hand.

However SADC Executive Secretary Dr. Tomaz Salomao is said to have confirmed that his office had sent copies of the report to all three parties on time. The ZANU-PF delegation left in a huff – they did not wait for the communique to be issued while the MDC-T appeared satisfied with the outcome.

In a summary of the SADC Summit Communique issued by Dr. Salomao last night around 10.30pm, Dewa Mavhinga from the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition said SADC leaders effectively endorsed the Livingstone Troika resolutions which ZANU-PF had sought to get reviewed.

“The Summit mandated the Troika to continue to assist Zimbabwe in the full implementation of the GPA. Summit urged the Troika to appoint their representatives as soon as possible to participate in the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (JOMIC).

“This point was vigorously opposed by ZANU-PF on the basis of some notion of state-sovereignty. Summit encouraged the parties 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.

“SADC leaders have maintained their position taken in Zambia, they are behind president Zuma, it appears. While they have said the right things, the challenge remains that of implementation. We wait to see ZANU-PF’s reaction, it may continue on the path of defiance.

“The Communique did not address time-lines in concrete terms. It did not address measures to be taken by SADC in the event of non-compliance. The language of the Communique has somewhat been toned down in what appears to be an attempt to allow ZANU-PF to save face, but the contents have remained those agreed in Zambia.

“The Troika team to work with JOMIC is a significant development, depending on their specific terms of reference. We would have wanted a clear indication that progress should be reviewed at the August Summit in Angola. From this communique it is inconceivable that elections will be held in 2011.

“State-controlled and ZANU-PF aligned media in Zimbabwe is misleading the public on the outcomes of the Summit – claiming the SADC rejected Livingstone resolutions.

“Although not a loud bang, it’s an important step in the right direction that needs to be sustained and to be viewed as a building block on the democratization path. Thanks to president Zuma and his Facilitation Team for this definite shift in SADC position,” Mavhinga wrote.