Mugabe snipes at Zuma over SADC trade protocol

President Robert Mugabe has wasted no time in taking a snipe at South African president Jacob Zuma telling him that he should cooperate with other SADC countries instead of trying to turn the region into a market for SA’s products.

Mugabe the new Southern African Development Community (SADC) chairperson was not amused that Zuma and Namibian President Hifikepuye Pohamba declined to sign the Protocol on Trade in Services at the close of the SADC summit in Victoria Falls on Sunday despite regional heads putting pressure.

“We also appealed to South Africa which is highly industrialised to lead us in this and work with us, and cooperate with us and not just regard the whole continent as an open market for products from South Africa,” Mugabe said at a press conference after the official closing ceremony on Sunday.

“We want a reciprocal relationship,” the 90-year-old president added.

SADC members signed the protocol in August 2012, but South Africa and Namibia requested more time to consider.

The protocol aims to provide a framework for progressive liberalization of trade in six priority services sectors among Member States.