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From Patrick Chitumba in Victoria Falls
THE Southern African Development Community will not entertain a faction of the MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai during its summit in Victoria Falls this week because Zimbabwe is not on the agenda, the bloc’s director for the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Affairs, Retired Lieutenant Colonel Tanki Mothae, said yesterday.
He said Sadc was coming here to support the country under the leadership of President Mugabe whom he said was going to lead it to greener pastures.
In an interview, Rtd Lt Col Mothae said as far as the secretariat was concerned there was no reason for the host nation to be put on the summit’s agenda as demanded by the MDC-T.
“First of all I’m not aware of the delegation (MDC-T) of which if it is an issue pertaining to politics, I would have been advised,” he said.
Rtd Lt Col Mothae said the summit was strictly an inter-governmental meeting for Heads of State and Government.
“… This is a Sadc summit, a summit of Heads of State and Government, an inter-governmental organisation. So any body outside this summit does not have a place on the agenda unless it does so through other member states. As far as we are concerned we do not have any issues to do with the opposition party,” he said.
Douglas Mwonzora, spokesman of the MDC-T, recently said the party would be sending a delegation to the summit to lobby the Sadc Heads of State to pressure President Mugabe to implement the new Constitution.
“We are going to dispatch a delegation to inform Sadc about the dire state of the country’s economy, the failure by the Zanu PF-led government to adhere to the new constitution which is a product of the GPA,” Mwonzora was quoted as saying.
However, Rtd Lt Col Mothae said the host country was only on the agenda for President Mugabe to assume the chairmanship of the bloc.
He said the political situation in the country and in any of the member states would be treated by Sadc as an internal process that can be addressed by the relevant governments and their people.
“The organ under the leadership of its chair is put in the limelight when there are developments in any of the member states that disrupt peace.
“The organ does not intervene or play policeman in internal politics or policies. For example in Zimbabwe anything that might have been discussed or was supposed to be done during and after the government of national unity is internal to Zimbabweans.
“Right now Zimbabwe is focusing on chairing the Sadc summit and we are looking forward to it chairing the organ. All issues pertaining to politics are an internal process,” Rtd Lt Col Mothae said.
He said as far as the organ was concerned everything was going on well in the country after the harmonised elections on July 31, last year. “So far so good for Zimbabwe and we are here to celebrate their taking over the responsibility of the region,” said Rtd Lt Col Mothae.
“We are here to witness what you people are doing and we need to support Zimbabwe to lead Sadc to greener pastures. Zimbabwe is not on the agenda of Sadc and has not been there for some time.”
Rtd Lt Col Mothae said the regional body would always strive to make sure that there was peace and tranquility in the region for economic activity or development to thrive.
“We put in place mechanisms such as mandatory holding of free and fair elections in the member states as provided for in the Sadc principles and guidelines governing elections. We want to enable regional integration for the benefit of the people in the member states,” he said.
Online Reporter