Maravi

(NEWZIMBABWE) Zimbabwe off SADC agenda

Zimbabwe off SADC agenda
by Staff Reporter
19/05/2011 00:00:00

ZIMBABWE has been removed from the agenda of a SADC heads of state summit opening in Namibia on Friday at the request of South African President Jacob Zuma, reports said last night.

Instead, Zuma – SADC’s point man on Zimbabwe -- has offered to host a special summit in Pretoria either on June 11 or 20, the Voice of America reported, citing SADC executive secretary Tomaz Salomao.

The two MDC factions led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Industry Minister Welshman Ncube confirmed that no invitations had been received from SADC to attend Friday’s summit – the clearest signal that Zimbabwe had been removed from the agenda.
President Robert Mugabe will, however, attend in his official capacity.

Salomao said: “Despite the removal of Zimbabwe from the agenda, the summit will still take place on Friday and Mugabe has indicated he will attend.”

Zuma reportedly pulled out of the summit because he was too busy with the local government elections held on Wednesday.

He was expected to brief regional leaders on his mediation efforts in Zimbabwe where he is pushing for an election roadmap – a cross-party agreement on conditions to be met before the country can go to the polls.

Salomao said a debate on the fate of the SADC Tribunal, which controversially ruled that Zimbabwe’s seizure of white owned farms was illegal and discriminatory, would still go ahead.

The Tribunal was suspended last August after Zimbabwe protested that it was not properly constituted. Justice Ministers from the region who met in Namibia in April made recommendations which will be presented to the summit.

Labels: SADC, TOMAZ SALOMAO, ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 1:12 PM