Politics

SADC leaders see Mugabe’s end

By Gerald Harper ⋅ © zimbabwemetro.com ⋅ April 13, 2008 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅ Post a comment

The leaders of southern Africa may have begun to cool towards the “Old Man” Robert Mugabe but they are still straining to avoid showing disrespect towards Zimbabwe’s president.

Mugabe’s absence from a regional summit in the Zambian capital Lusaka, which broke up early Sunday after some 13 hours of talks, spoke louder than the largely anodyne 17-point joint declaration released at its conclusion.

With no leader willing to put themselves up at a post-summit press conference, it was left to the host Foreign Minister Kabinga Bande to hold the line that there is no crisis across Zambia’s southern border despite the absence of results more than two weeks after presidential elections.

“We listened to the two parties (opposition and ruling party). Both said there is no crisis in Zimbabwe,” said Bande.

Bande’s words echoed those of South African President Thabo Mbeki who had stopped off in the Zimbabwean capital Harare on his way to Lusaka, telling journalists after meeting Mugabe there was “no crisis”.

“The body authorised to release the results is the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, let’s wait for them to announce the results,” said Mbeki.

Mbeki has been the prime proponent of a much derided policy of quiet diplomacy towards the 84-year-old Mugabe, not only the oldest leader in the 14-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) but Africa as a whole.

The Zimbabwean opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), whose leader Morgan Tsvangirai met SADC presidents behind closed doors, has been particularly critical over what it regards as Mbeki’s lack of “courage” in standing up to Mugabe — still revered by many Africans for his leading role in a 1970s liberation war.

However, SADC made a point of not only thanking Mbeki for his mediation efforts in the election build-up but also asked him to “continue in his role as facilitator on Zimbabwe on the outstanding issues.”

The response from the MDC was hardly one of ringing endorsement, with secretary-general Tendai Biti saying there had to be “more vigour, more openess and a complete abandonment of the policy of quiet diplomacy”.

But having been granted an audience at the SADC high table, the MDC did not want to appear ungrateful with Biti detecting a “major improvement” in the bloc’s previously cosy stance.

While stressing Mugabe was not “in the dock,”, Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa insisted in his opening remarks that Zimbabwe, where inflation is well into six figures and unemployment over 80 percent, was of legitimate interest.

“SADC cannot stand by and do nothing when one of its members is experiencing political and economic pain. It would be wrong to turn a blind eye.”

One delegate at the talks, from a country traditionally close to Mugabe, said Mugabe told Malawian president Bingu waMutharika and South Africa’s Thabo Mbeki that he lost the election and there was acknowledgment Mugabe’s days are numbered.

Not only was there a widespread belief that Mugabe lost to Tsvangirai, even if he scrapes enough votes to make it into a second round, but they also agreed any bid by the military to forestall the result would be doomed in the long-run as it simply has no money.

Meeting in Lusaka, Zambia, into the early hours of Sunday, the leaders of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) also urged all parties in Zimbabwe to accept the results of the elections when they were announced.

Zimbabweans have been waiting for two weeks to hear the presidential election results.

The summit declaration said if there was a run-off presidential election between President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, the Zimbabwe government “is urged to ensure that… [it is] held in a secure environment.”

SADC leaders leave Zambia
SADC leaders who were in Zambia for the extra ordinary summit on Zimbabwe have left the country.

The SADC leaders who were locked in a 12 hour closed door meeting which ran overnight until Sunday morning, started leaving the Zambian capital, Lusaka at 06:50 hours.

The heads of state where seen off by cabinet ministers and top government officials.

Democratic of Congo President, Joseph Kabila was the first to leave, followed by Namibian President, Hifikepunye Pohamba who left at 07:00hours.

South African President, Thabo Mbeki left at 08:01 followed by Malawian President Mbingu Wa Mutharika at 09:30 hours.

Botswana President Ian Khama flew out at 08:51hours while his Mozambican counterpart President Armando Guebuza left at 10:15 hours after holding a press briefing at the Lusaka international airport.

Angolan President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos left Zambia at 10:50 hours.

Contrary to some media reports that he left early,Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai was the last to leave and left on a private flight.