(HERALD) President's emissaries back home

President's emissaries back home
By Sydney Kawadza and Munyaradzi Huni
Thursday, 19 May 2011 23:36

PRESIDENT Mugabe's emissaries to the Sadc re-gion have started returning home with the message that all Sadc leaders were impressed with political and economic developments in the country.

The Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces re-cently sent envoys to the region that briefed heads of state and government on the situation here.

They were sent ahead of today's Sadc Summit in Windhoek, Namibia, which has since struck off Zimbabwe from the agenda.

In a statement yesterday, Sadc said the extraordinary summit would discuss the report of the Committee of Ministers of Justice and attorneys general on the Sadc Tribunal.

The summit will also deliberate on Principles, Guidelines and Institutional Framework, Declaration and Roadmap towards the establishment of the Grand Free Trade Area between Comesa, East Afri-can Community and Sadc.

Agenda items of the summit were agreed on during the Ordinary Summit in Windhoek last year.
A progress report on the impact of the global cri-sis on the Sadc region will also feature in the discussions.

The Sadc Troika chairman, Zambian President Rupiah Banda, will present a report on Zimbabwe based on its meeting in Livingstone.
The Zimbabwean issue will however, not be discussed in Windhoek.

Zimbabwe will be discussed on the sidelines of the tripartite Comesa-Sadc-EAC meeting in South Africa next month.
The decision was taken after South African leader and facilitator President Jacob Zuma asked to be excused from the extraordinary summit because of elections in his country.

The summit's agenda includes the critical review of the Sadc situation, including Madagascar, the Sadc Tribunal where justice ministers are said to ha-ve received a report from a consultant on its future and the general review of the region's economic situation.

Sadc facilitator on Madagascar, former Mozambican President Joachim Chissano will present an election roadmap for the country.
The Sadc Tribunal will be put before the Council of Ministers effectively meaning that there will be two reports, one from justice ministers and the council of ministers' report.

The tribunal's future, what has to be done on its previous determinations and whether it will be suspended or stopped from taking new cases will be discussed.
The meeting will also discuss the Tribunal's jurisdiction. President Mugabe was accompanied by Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, Transport, Communication and Infrastructure Development Minister

Nicholas Goche, Zanu-PF national chairman Cde Simon Khaya Moyo and senior Government officials.
He was met at Windhoek International Airport by Ambassador Chipo Zindoga, Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mmbengegwi and Justice and Legal Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa.



President Mugabe also paid a courtesy call on his Namibian counterpart President Hifikepunye Pohamba.
President Mugabe sent Vice President John Nkomo to South Africa and Botswana to appraise his counterparts on the Zimbabwe situation.

Presidential Affairs Minister Didy-mus Mutasa went to Tanzania, Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa (Ango-la and DRC), National Security Minister Sydney Sekeramayi (Mozambique and Zambia while Lands, Land Reforms and Resettlement Minister Herbert Murerwa travelled to the Seychelles and Mauritius on the same mission.

In interviews yesterday, Ministers Mutasa and Mnangagwa said Sadc countries have a genuine appreciation of the situation in Zimbabwe.
Minister Mutasa, who met Tanzanian Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation Minister Bernard Membe, said Tanzania appreciated the need to expedite implementation of the Global Political Agreement.

President Jakaya Kikwete attended Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni's inauguration in Kampala and met President Mugabe there.
"We had a very productive meeting where we discussed and agreed on various issues, especially the expediting of the constitution-making process and the referendum, strictly follow the election roadmap and the reported violent activities," said Minister Mutasa.

The minister said Tanzania took note that much of the violence was being perpetrated by the MDC-T and there was no State-sponsored violence.
"The minister, however, expressed his worries that Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai could be used to follow the violent activities being perpetrated in North Africa by the United States and their allies," he said.

Minister Mnangagwa met the Angolan second vice president, foreign affairs minister and his defence counterpart.
He held meetings with officials from the MPLA including the vice president and secretary general.

The defence minister also delivered President Mugabe's special message to DRC President Joseph Kabila.
"We highlighted the progress made by the inclusive Government especially in the areas of the economic and political situations.

"Our economy continues to grow despite the illegal sanctions and is on a recovery path after registering an eight percent growth.
"We are also expecting to rise above nine percent this year," he said.

Minister Mnangagwa said the political situation in Zimbabwe was extremely stable.
"We cannot wish for anything better. Yes, there have been reports of isolated incidents of violence.

"An exercise was carried out and it indicated that of the 121 violence cases reported, 101 were blamed on the MDC-T, 20 by Zanu-PF and none from the other MDC formations," he said.
Minister Mnangagwa said the envoys also discussed the issue of the illegal sanctions.

"All the countries are in agreement that Sadc should continue agitating for the immediate removal of the sanctions."
On PM Tsvangirai's whirlwind tour of the region before the Sadc Troika Summit in Livingstone, Zambia, Minister Mnangagwa said the MDC-T leader was representing his party not Government.

"The region feels encouraged by the progress made and is very supportive. They have had the opportunity to listen to both facts and fiction and the Sadc countries are in a position to discuss positively on the situation in Zimbabwe," he said.

Minister Mnangagwa dismissed reports that Zimbabwe's service chiefs snubbed South African President Jacob Zuma's negotiator Mr Mac Maharaj.
"These things are just coming from the media. The Zimbabwe Defence Forces never received a request for a meeting from the facilitators.

"After all there are no military issues on the GPA. There are six negotiators from all the parties involved in the process and they would cover all those issues.
"Security reforms are discussed through the National Security Council because these are policy issues," he said.

Mr Tsvangirai went around the region telling leaders that President Mugabe was incapacitated to run the country and that there was a silent coup in Zimbabwe.
The MDC-T leader also claimed that there was a resurgence of unmitigated violence against his supporters.

However, police investigations have indicated that much of the violence in Zimbabwe was attributed to the MDC-T.
The violent activities heightened ahead of the MDC-T congress in Bulawayo.