MDC hails SADC plans to discuss Zimbabwe crisis

By Tichaona Sibanda
8 March 2007

The Tsvangirai MDC has hailed the Southern African Development Community (SADC) plans to discuss the Zimbabwe crisis at its Lusaka summit in August as a step forward. The MDC’ secretary for Foreign Affairs Professor Elphas said SADC has been jolted into action because Zimbabweans had reached the point of open defiance and possible rebellion against Robert Mugabe. Mukonoweshuro was also critical of the long delay the regional bloc took to realise that all was not well in Zimbabwe, as pointed out by the Zambian Foreign minister Mundia Sikatana on Tuesday.

Mukonoweshuro said current events in the country have ‘alarmed a few governments within SADC and it explains why there is a sense of urgency and renewed interest that a solution must be found to ensure that the country experiences a soft landing from this crisis. He added that the speed and severity of the countrys’ downward spiral has become a real threat to regional economic stability and has also raised the threat of bloodshed, forcing SADC to insist on putting the Zimbabwe issue on its annual summit agenda. Despite the clear signs of the gathering storm in Zimbabwe SADC leaders have in the last six years done little publicly to address the crisis.

‘The Zambian Foreign minister has been very courageous to speak about the Zimbabwe issue publicly and I hope this becomes the new position of their government. But during our visits to many SADC capitals this position has been routinely expressed to us privately by the heads of state and government and this gives us hope that the issue will dominate the Lusaka summit,’ Mukonoweshuro said.

Faced by more vigorous attempts to stop Mugabe from extending his rule by two more years, the regime has responded by slapping an open-ended ban on political rallies and protests countrywide. The opposition and all pro-democracy groups in the country accuse Mugabe, who turned 83 last month, of gross human rights abuses, intimidating opponents, stealing elections and running the country into economic ruin.