adminThe outgoing Sadc Executive Secretary Dr Tomaz Salamao says Zimbabwe’s elections are a model that should be followed by many African countries as they were free, fair and credible.Dr Salamao was highly commended by the Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, President Mugabe for the sterling job on the Zimbabwean issue.
Dr Salamao, who served as the Sadc executive secretary for two four year terms, will be leaving the organisation next month after a successful tour of duty which also saw him being part of Zimbabwe’s facilitation process.
He was also part of the high level Sadc observer mission to Zimbabwe’s 2013 harmonised elections and said the way the polls were conducted in Zimbabwe should serve as a lesson for all countries on the continent who will be conducting their own.
“I have been working on the issue of Zimbabwe since 2008 and you can never compare the elections held then with now. There can never be perfect elections but what happened in Zimbabwe is a case study. African people should use this as a reference point of how polls should be held,” said Dr Salamao.
Dr Salamao called on the other parties that lost in the elections to accept the results and work for the good of the country, adding that Zimbabwe would appear on the Sadc agenda, not for the wrong reasons, but as a key player in the regional socio-economic and political landscape.
He said: “Zimbabwe will not be on the Sadc agenda because of political impasse or conflicts. It will appear on the agenda because it has a lot to contribute to the regional socio-economic and political landscape.”
Dr Salamao said Zimbabwe did the best in holding peaceful elections and the outgoing Sadc executive secretary’s role in Zimbabwe’s issue can never be forgotten. — ZBC
Online Reporter
derick.khumalo