adminengage party principals directly as his reliance on proxies was creating procedural problems and misrepresentations.
The directive came in the wake of growing concern that some members of his backroom facilitation team, who have no locus standi before Sadc, were overstepping their boundaries and risked stirring diplomatic rows.
Sadly that advice, that was predicated on the constitutional law principle delegatus non potest delegare (one to whom power is delegated cannot himself further delegate that power) appears to have fallen on deaf ears as Cde Zuma’s international relations advisor, Ms Lindiwe Zulu, continues behaving like a bull in a China shop.
Then as now, she has arrogated herself the role of facilitator, Sadc spokesperson and Godfather of our political processes to the extent of not only challenging pronouncements by Sadc executive secretary Tomaz Salamao but even the Constitutional Court ruling that harmonised elections be held by July 31 this year.
For the avoidance of doubt, Sadc appointed President Zuma – in his personal capacity – facilitator to the Global Political Agreement that brought forth the inclusive Government.
It is not South Africa or any of its citizens who were appointed facilitators.
And the role of a facilitator is to help parties to a dispute talk to each other, which President Zuma and Cde Thabo Mbeki before him have done with distinction which is why our three main political parties have been in a coalition government over the past five years.
That facilitation nears its end with the harmonised elections due by July 31; surprisingly Ms Zulu seems intent on spoiling the good work done by Cdes Zuma and Mbeki by cloaking herself in non-existent robes.
We are amused by the predilection of some sections of the media to circumvent Sadc and quote Lindiwe Zulu on matters to do with Sadc or even the GPA when she has no mandate to speak for the regional bloc or the facilitator.
Yes with her unguarded, albeit unguarded statements, she gives them sound bites but it is clear to any reasonable person that her mouthing is akin to a tale told by a fool which is full of sound and fury yet signifies nothing.
To us here in Zimbabwe and before Sadc, Lindiwe Zulu is a South African citizen who has nothing to do with the mandate Sadc gave President Zuma.
As facilitator, it is up to President Zuma to choose who can assist him behind the scenes but those he chooses should never arrogate themselves a role beyond their backroom mandate.
Sadly Lindiwe Zulu has been left to run riot shooting her mouth off with a shut mind, and we hope the statements that some sections of the media attribute to her were made in a personal capacity and do not reflect the thinking of the facilitator because a facilitator who oversteps his mandate can either be ignored or rejected.
Facilitation is just that, helping people find each other, it is not synonymous with dictating terms to sovereign parties.
In the matter in question, the issue of the election date, our highest Court sitting as a Constitutional Court took on the hat of facilitator in the wake of varied interpretations of the law as to when elections should be held.
And with a crushing majority of seven judges assenting to two dissenting, the Constitutional Court ordered President Mugabe to proclaim election dates and hold the elections by July 31 this year.
It thus came as a surprise to read comments attributed to Ms Zulu claiming the obverse. She was, yesterday quoted as saying ‘’with or without a Constitutional Court ruling elections in Zimbabwe will have to be decided by a roadmap’’.
We would like to believe Ms Zulu was misquoted because her misguided utterances are a danger to our peace and security and the Sadc mediation itself.
We, however, take this opportunity to remind her that Sadc which mandated and recognises only President Zuma as facilitator is on record saying it will be guided by due process in Zimbabwe.
And the courts gave that direction.
As a citizen of a Sadc member state, Ms Zulu is free to hold opinions about the bloc’s mediation in Zimbabwe, but she should disabuse herself of the notion that she is a stakeholder in our domestic politics.
To this end we urge President Zuma to be guided by Sadc’s position, delegatus non potest delegare for too many cooks spoil the broth.
Online Reporter