Cape Town — SA's softly softly approach to the Zimbabwe crisis is set to change when Southern African Development Community (SADC) heads of state hold an emergency meeting on Sunday.
Former president Thabo Mbeki, right up to the moment when he was removed from office, stuck to his policy of quiet diplomacy in dealing with President Robert Mugabe.
Mbeki has been accused of favouring the octogenarian leader in mediating the conflict with Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai. Yesterday, however, chief government spokesman Themba Maseko said that when the cabinet met on Wednesday it had expressed extreme concern at the lack of progress in power-sharing talks in Zimbabwe.
A meeting a week ago of a select group of SADC leaders, including President Kgalema Motlanthe, failed to make any headway in resolving the deadlock between Mugabe and Tsvangirai over the allocation of cabinet posts. This necessitated a full extraordinary meeting of SADC heads of state on Sunday in Johannesburg.
In response to questions at a news conference, Maseko said SA would be "taking quite a hard stance" at Sunday's meeting because urgent steps were needed to resolve the situation, which was having an effect on the entire region.
Asked to elaborate on the "hard stance" that SA would take, Maseko said: "We are anxious about the failure to reach agreement, and will be expressing the view that it now has to be done urgently." He said there was also concern the planting season being missed in Zimbabwe, where millions would need emergency food aid .
In his medium-term budget policy statement last month, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel announced R300m had been allocated to provide a lifeline for Zimbabwean agriculture.
But Maseko said the government was having difficulty in sitting at ministerial level with the Zimbabweans to discuss allocation of the money. In the absence of a functioning cabinet the agricultural rescue plan would be stillborn.
Maseko said government had also expressed extreme concern at renewed fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where SA played a key role in brokering a peace deal.
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SADC leaders should make sure that this upcoming summit is a conclusive one...It's highly likely that they will come up with a final resolution based on last week's Troika report presented by executive secretary Tomasz Salomao...This incisive report makes it clear that no fresh proposals from the 3 parties were presented ,the cabinet allocations made by President Mugabe were indorsed and also the fact that the present impasse is on Home Affairs ministry only...The Western sponsored MDC-T may try to stall the agreement by shifting goalposts and presenting fresh proposals...SADC leaders should make it categorically clear that Tsvangi and his cohorts will not be allowed to disregard the Troika report..SADC leaders should not in any way tolerate anymore childish nonsense from the Western sponsored stooge that wants our pan-african solution on Zim to collapse.....
Of course let's not forget that Salomao's communique was objected to by many as not covering the full detail of the resolution, omitting some crucial decisions by the Troika that weren't in Zanu PF's favour. SA's foreign minister is reported to have been dimayed at the misrepresentation of the facts by the communique and the SA president is reported to agree that the MDC's 'equitable distribution' demand was reasonable. So if SA is going to take a tough stance and these reports have any truth in them, don't expect SADC to necessarily vindicate or confirm Mugabe's position on the implementation of the global agreement. I agree, this summit must be a conclusive one for the good of Zimbabwe. The irony is that for all the 'protection of our sovereignty' Mugabe talked about, Zimbabwe is very close to having a political solution imposed on it by other countries who increasingly recognise the growing danger to the region posed by Zimbabwe's accelerating collapse. With Zimbabwe becoming a more acknowledged threat to the stability of Southern Africa, a United Nations resolution against Mugabe & Zanu PF would not be far off if this impass continues and conditions on the ground worsen.
African32, I've noticed you seem to be in denial of the present state of affairs..You see, the bottom line is that there is an official SADC troika report in place that was drafted by 3 troika nations which confirms that the impasse is on Home Affairs ministry only... You said, "SA's foreign minister is reported to have been dismayed...." I challenge you to tell me where and when she PUBLICLY informed the media on that aspect...African32, The Western sponsored MDC-T keeps shifting goalposts almost on a daily basis in regards to these talks, thereby confusing their own supporters who're now finding it difficult to establish which position they're now at....I bet even you Afric32(your previous name!) need a daily update on the confused MDC-T'S position.....
Comical Mabhiza,
Can you please give us a link to this "official SADC troika report in place that was drafted by 3 troika nations...."
I'm pretty sure you will find it doesnt say any of the things you think it does...
So lets see it eh? Or are you making this all up?
Well, you've had enough time, clearly you have made this all up. Its so easy to see how much of a fool you are. You have zero credibility. Once you tell one lie, everyone will see thatyou cant be trusted. The problem is you've told 100 lies, so what does that make you?
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