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delegation and its call for an extra-ordinary summit on Zimbabwe.
Mr Tsvangirai embarked on the tour last week saying he wanted regional leaders to compel President Mugabe to postpone elections till the implementation of ‘’reforms’’.
The MDC-T leader drew fire from his MDC counterparts who described the tour as “silly and embarrassing’’ while the NCA queried why Mr Tsvangirai was demanding reforms now when he had spent the past four years in the inclusive Government implementing reforms. Mr Tsvangirai touched down at Harare International airport yesterday afternoon and was quickly whisked away from the tarmac by his aides, avoiding reporters who wanted to interview him over his trip.
Sources close to developments say Mr Tsvangirai had to drop Mozambique from his itinerary amid indications from Maputo that President Armando Guebuza were not interested in meeting him.
The MDC-T leader was similarly snubbed in Angola where he ended up meeting low-level government officials, Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba and his premier Hage Geingob followed suit on Wednesday forcing Mr Tsvangirai to take his roadshow outside Sadc to central and east Africa.
Mr Tsvangirai, diplomatic sources say, was forced to climb down on his earlier stance of pressing for an extra-ordinary summit on Zimbabwe alleging lack of peace in the country after Tanzanian leader Jakaya Kikwete who chairs the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation reminded the premier that reports from Zimbabwe said peace was prevalent.
Mr Tsvangirai’s spokesperson Mr Luke Tamborenyoka, said his boss ended his ill-fated tour after meeting Mr Daniel Kablan Duncan, the Prime Minister of Cote d’ Ivoire on Saturday and President Seretse Khama Ian Khama of Botswana yesterday.
Mr Tsvangirai, Mr Tamborinyoka said, ended in central and west Africa, to meet the leaders of four of the regional blocs that make up the Africa Union among them Sadc, ECOWAS, EAC and the Central African regional bloc led by Gabon.
Mr Khama is reported to have reiterated his position that Sadc would have to meet to adopt the roadmap for a free, fair and credible poll and agree on how the elections would be monitored.
Mr Tsvangirai was accompanied by the Minister of State in his office, Mr Jameson Timba who is also his party’s secretary for international relations and co-operation.
“It is now clear that Africa is now speaking with one voice on Zimbabwe. The leaders made it clear that they will not accept either a violent or a rigged election and they also expressed their exasperation with the shenanigans of Zanu-PF,” Mr Timba said.
Online Reporter