Southern Africa: SADC Task Force Assesses Pre-Election Harare

30 January 2002
African Eye News Service (Nelspruit)
By Brian Ligomeka

Blantyre, Malawi — Members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) met in Harare on Wednesday to follow up on resolutions made by Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe to hold free and fair elections.

Malawi president and SADC chairman Bakili Muluzi called the two-day meeting, that ends on Thursday, to assess the situation on the ground.

The task force comprising members from Malawi, Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Nambia and South Africa will follow up on resolutions made at the SADC summit in Malawi on January 14 this year.

"They will look at the general arrangements made for the elections to ensure they are in line with agreements made at the January 14 summit," said Malawi 's director of information, Anthony Livusa.

Meanwhile SADC's parliamentary forum has received the green light to monitor the March 9 and 10 presidential elections.

Forum chairman Sam Mpasu said: "We are just waiting for a formal invitation from Harare for about 39 officials to observe the election in 10 provinces".

The officials are expected in Zimbabwe at least a month before the crucial polls.

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