Zimbabwe: Contesting Parties Both Welcome Summit Outcome

Presidency of the Republic of South Africa
From left, President Jacob Zuma of South Africa, President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangarai and former leader Arthur Mutambara (file photo).
13 June 2011
allAfrica.com

In a communique publicly welcomed by political leaders on both sides of Zimbabwe's political divide, Southern African presidents have called on them to create an environment conducive to elections on "a level political field" and to speed up the implementation of the agreement which established their unity government.

Spin doctors for both President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) claimed their side had gained ground at a weekend summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). But independent observers suggested that the MDC-T had more to trumpet than Zanu-PF.

The pro-Mugabe daily, The Herald, quoted President Mugabe as saying the summit "came out very well." It also claimed the meeting "rejected" a March statement in which SADC's security "troika" - headed by Zambian President Rupiah Banda - criticised "violence, intimidation, hate speech [and] harassment" in Zimbabwe. Mugabe and his supporters rejected the criticism, which was issued after a meeting in Livingstone, Zambia.

Supporting its interpretation of the summit having rejected the criticism, The Herald quoted foreign minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi as saying: "Summit only noted the outcome of Livingstone, they did not endorse."

NewsDay of Harare claimed that Mugabe had "suffered a major body blow" when SADC "told him to play ball."

It reported MDC-T secretary-general Tendai Biti as also saying the party was pleased with the summit outcome. "It was a re-endorsement of the Livingstone Summit," it reported Biti as saying.

It also quoted Biti and another official as highlighting a summit decision to devote resources to ensuring that outside monitors in a Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee could carry out their work.

The New York Times also suggested the summit was a "setback" for Mugabe, and said that as the communique was read at a news conference, "Mr. Mugabe's loyalists were nowhere to be seen."

Ahead of the summit, reports suggested that Banda and President Jacob Zuma of South Africa, the SADC's facilitator of its Zimbabwe mediation, would allow Mugabe "to be seen to be back in SADC's good graces."

Southern Africa Report wrote that Banda and Zuma were "less interested in humiliating Mugabe publicly than in persistently worrying him into taking one apparently small step at a time down the path to internationally-credible elections.

The full text of that part of the SADC communique dealing with Zimbabwe read:

21. On Zimbabwe, Summit noted the report of H.E. Jacob G. Zuma, President of the Republic of South Africa and SADC Facilitator on Zimbabwe, on the progress made in the implementation of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) in Zimbabwe noting consultations held with the Stakeholders in Zimbabwe on the implementation of the outstanding issues on the GPA.

22. Summit noted the decisions of the Organ Troika Summit held in Livingstone, Zambia in March 2011.

23. Summit mandated the Organ Troika to continue to assist Zimbabwe in the full implementation of the GPA.

24. Summit urged the Organ Troika to appoint their representatives as soon as possible to participate in the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (JOMIC).

25. Summit mandated the Secretariat to mobilise resources for JOMIC for it to discharge its functions.

26. Summit encouraged the parties to the GPA 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.

27. Summit commended H.E. Jacob G. Zuma, President of the Republic of South Africa, and the Facilitator for the Zimbabwe Political Dialogue for his efforts towards the full implementation of the Global Political Agreement.

28. Summit urged the Organ Troika to remain seized with the implementation of the Global Political Agreement in Zimbabwe.

29. Summit recalled its decision taken during the Extraordinary Summit in Windhoek, Namibia in August 2010, mandating the Chairperson of SADC, the Chairperson of the Organ, SADC Facilitator for the Zimbabwe Political Dialogue assisted by the Secretariat to undertake the mission to the United Kingdom, United States of America and the European Union.

30. Summit received a Report on the mission and noted its recommendations.

31. Summit committed to continue dialogue with the western powers on the removal of sanction against Zimbabwe.

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