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Mugabe happy with Summit outcome

Mugabe happy with Summit outcome
By George Chellah in Harare, Zimbabwe
Sunday August 19, 2007 [04:00]

ZIMBABWEAN President Robert Mugabe on Friday expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the recently held Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit in Lusaka. And President Mugabe said SADC finance ministers would study the report on Zimbabwe's economic situation and determine what form of assistance would come from the region or outside through the initiatives of SADC.

Speaking on Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation on Friday evening, President Mugabe, who was flanked by Vice-President Joseph Msika, said the Summit went on well and that he was happy with the outcome.

"We had a very good meeting...we are happy," he said. President Mugabe explained that a two-dimensional approach to the Zimbabwean situation was set out at the last meeting in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.

"There was a programme that was worked out in Dar-es-salaam under the chairmanship of Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete. A two-prong approach was proposed," President Mugabe said. "The political dimension seeks to ensure that there is internal stability, meaning the government should meet with other parties here."

He further said South African President Thabo Mbeki also gave a report as was required by the then chairman of the SADC organ on politics, defence and security President Kikwete.

"And according to President Mbeki's report, there has been progress in that area dialogue between the ruling ZANU-PF and opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)," President Mugabe said.

President Mbeki was tasked by SADC heads of state to convene negotiations between ZANU-PF and the MDC.

President Mugabe explained that SADC executive secretary Dr Tomaz Salomao also presented his report on the economic situation in Zimbabwe.

"The executive secretary Dr Salomao was instructed to undertake a visit to Zimbabwe to study the situation here and to talk to the various groups including government and establish the nature of what the economic hardships were and also propose solutions," President Mugabe said.

"He had done that study quite thoroughly and he has reported also to President Kikwete. And President Kikwete has now in his own report to us in Lusaka proposed, that report from Dr Salomao, the SADC executive secretary, should now be studied much more thoroughly by the finance ministers of SADC.

"And then they will elicit what is possible... what help can come from SADC and what help could come from outside through the initiatives of SADC."
At an extraordinary summit in Tanzania last March, the SADC leaders tasked Dr Salomao to undertake a study of the economic situation in Zimbabwe.

Labels: MUGABE, SADC

posted by MrK @ 3:40 AM