admindebate the matter at its extraordinary summit on Zimbabwe this weekend, political observers here said.
Sadc leaders are meeting here on the sidelines of the Sadc-Comesa and East Africa Community summit to debate the situation in Zimbabwe.
The summit is also a follow up to the Livingstone, Zambia, and Windhoek, Namibia, meetings.
The MDC formations have been vigorously advocating security sector reforms as a pre-condition to the holding of elections.
On Wednesday, Western-sponsored non governmental organisations and MDC-T activists convened a workshop here with the theme: “Sadc’s Final Hurdle to a Democratic Transition in Zimbabwe, Engaging with Security Sector Reform.”
This was done in a bid to influence public opinion ahead of the summit but the workshop was expressly told that security sector reforms were not an issue.
This was after a Zanu-PF delegation, whose attendance of the meeting was unexpected by the organisers, shot down false claims of military involvement in elections in Zimbabwe.
Earlier, NGOs including Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, Zimbabwe Exile Forum and the Independent Liberators Platform lied that security forces had taken over management of elections.
“The issue of Sadc pushing for security sector reform is a none issue. I do not think they will do that this weekend. Sadc thinks this is an internal matter,” said Dr Cheryl Hendricks of South Africa’s Institute for Security Studies.
Another South African political analyst Mr Obrey Matshiqi, said Sadc was not interested in the security sector reform debate.
“I think Sadc wants a break, avoiding any issues that lead to a stalemate within partners in the inclusive Government.
“I think Sadc wants elections,” Mr Matshiqi said.
He is of the opinion that South African President and the Sadc facilitator to the Zimbabwean dialogue, President Jacob Zuma’s interest was no longer on the Global Political Agreement.
“I think President Zuma has given up on the GPA as a solution,” Mr Matshiqi said.
The MDC formations are against the holding of elections this year citing alleged violence and the need for security sector reforms, among other things. Right now the MDC-T has organised a demonstration tomorrow at the venue of the Sadc summit.
The theme of the demonstration is “No to Elections” in a bid to convince Sadc that conditions in Zimbabwe were not conducive for the holding of polls.
Dr Tafataona Mahoso, who also attended the workshop organised by the Institute for a Democratic Alternative for Zimbabwe, told the gathering that those calling for security reforms in Zimbabwe were scared of the pending elections.
“It is a ploy by people frightened by elections.
“They know that security reforms will take 10 years or more and they will be eating while discussing the security sector reforms,” Dr Mahoso said.
Crisis Coalition Zimbabwe’s Dewa Mavhinga, told the gathering that there was “a military regime with a civilian face” in Zimbabwe in a bid to send a wrong message to the world that the situation in the country required urgent intervention.
He even suggested that South Africa could use its regional muscle to unilaterally intervene in Zimbabwe.
“South Africa is well placed because of its economic muscle to push for reforms.
“South Africa may have to do more even if it means acting unilaterally outside Sadc,” Mr Mavhinga said, adding, “it would be splendid isolation.”
The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition launched a publication dubbed “The Military Factor in Zimbabwe’s Political and Electoral Affairs” in Johannesburg yesterday in a bid to keep the momentum on the matter ahead of the summit.
Zanu-PF Manicaland province official Cde Joshua Sacco, who also attended the workshop, said MDC-T and its leader Morgan Tsvangirai were the crisis in Zimbabwe.
He took a swipe at the NGOs for trying to mislead the world on events in Zimbabwe.
“For a long time you have been misrepresenting things about Zimbabwe.
“The only crisis in Zimbabwe is caused by Morgan Tsvangirai who is being used by the West to cause the suffering of Zimbabweans,” he said.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter