SADC commends coalition despite lack of progress and continued violence

 http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Tererai Karimakwenda
04 May 2011

Despite the lack of progress in fully implementing the Global Political 
Agreement (GPA) facilitated by SADC, and the recent increase in political 
violence by ZANU PF, the regional leaders meeting in Angola have commended 
Zimbabwe’s coalition leaders for “their commitment, cooperation and efforts”.

In a communiqué issued on Friday, the regional leaders at the Extraordinary 
Summit of SADC Heads of State in Luanda, urged the three main parties to 
finalise the constitution-making process and hold a referendum before 
conducting free and fair elections.

The chief facilitator on Zimbabwe, President Jacob Zuma of South Africa, was 
also praised by the regional leaders for “his efforts towards the 
realisation of full implementation of GPA”.

The GPA was signed nearly four years ago and contentious issues still 
remain, with ZANU PF continuing a campaign of arrests and violence against 
the MDC formations. In addition, a SADC team that was supposed to be sent to 
Zimbabwe to assist JOMIC make progress on the GPA has still not been 
appointed.

Okay Machisa from the Crisis Coalition said those two paragraphs in the 
communiqué said a lot about the regional leaders’ commitment to a free and 
fair election in Zimbabwe, because they insisted on reforms ahead of 
elections. This is the same position they expressed at other summits in 
Livingstone, Sandton and Windhoek.

“They are sending a clear message to Robert Mugabe, to Tsvangirai and to 
Ncube that they want free and fair elections in Zimbabwe and for them to be 
held under the standards that the African Union and SADC expect,” Machisa 
explained.

Machisa told SW Radio Africa that the lack of a time frame for 
implementation of the reforms is the key factor that has been missing in 
Zimbabwe so far.
“Civil society has been saying there is need for a time frame that should 
adhered to. Otherwise we are getting nowhere,” Machisa said.

SADC’s call for full implementation of the GPA effectively makes Robert 
Mugabe’s wish for elections this year, with or without key reforms, a 
non-starter. Mugabe and senior officials within his party had been pushing 
for early elections, amidst reports of Mugabe’s failing health and serious 
infighting within the party.