By Tichaona Sibanda
PRETORIA – A new date and venue have not been set for a special SADC summit on Zimbabwe, South Africa’s International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said on Friday.
Briefing journalists in Pretoria, the Minister said President Jacob Zuma’s facilitation team was still consulting to set a date for the summit, after the one in Maputo was called off on Thursday, at ZANU PF’s request.
After Thursday’s events SW Radio Africa was informed by a reliable source that the summit had been moved to Monday in Pretoria. But it has since emerged that Zuma will be tied up with other prior engagements and there is a possibility the summit will now be convened later in the week.
MDC-T lead negotiator Tendai Biti admitted on Thursday it would not be easy to agree on a roadmap for the elections, as efforts by GPA negotiators to reach an accord for the summit’s agenda appear to have stalled.
Priscillah Misihairambwi-Mushonga, writing on her Facebook page, suggested that talks to ensure the success of a free and fair election were not an easy task.
Sources told us that while Zuma remains committed to seeing the implementation of the reforms, that were agreed to by all parties, he faces stiff resistance from Mugabe and his ZANU PF party.
‘While ZANU PF thought they would railroad the country to elections without reforms because of the constitutional court ruling that ordered Mugabe to proclaim elections before July 31st, they found it tough to sell the idea to the facilitation team,’ a source said.
A source who was close to Thursday’s negotiations between Zuma’s team and the GPA negotiators told us the MDC formations were demanding that all reforms be implemented before the poll.
ZANU PF negotiators then sought a postponement of the SADC summit as they said they needed to consult with Mugabe before making any firm agreements. Mugabe, who had been outside the country, arrived back in Zimbabwe on Friday from his far-eastern trip.
UK based political analyst Sanderson Makombe said while ZANU PF was desperate to hold the elections without reforms, on the strength of the constitutional court ruling, the judgement has in fact created a quagmire for Mugabe.
‘If Mugabe decides to call for elections, he’s in danger of breaching certain laws of the new constitution. If he does not, he’s seen as not respecting the courts and I guess he might take this route as he has done it before on many occasions,’ Makombe said. SW Radio Africa
