While Zimbabwe’s political parties were proffering differing interpretations on what came out of the Sadc Summit in South Africa, analysts yesterday said ordinary Zimbabweans were the major victors from the Sandton meeting.
They said it was clear the ordinary Zimbabwean would be guaranteed wider liberties if the weekend resolutions were implemented. Political analyst Charles Mangongera said: “Firstly, people have focused their attention on whether it was a diplomatic victory for Zanu PF or the MDC.”
“(But) more importantly, Sadc has reaffirmed its commitment to seeing conditions in Zimbabwe allow people to freely express themselves.” He added: “What this means to me is that it is victory for the pro-democracy movement in Zimbabwe.
“Whether or not it included political parties is immaterial.”
Political, social and economic justice activist Hopewell Gumbo said the people of Zimbabwe should take note of the fact that they remained the chief vehicle for change in Zimbabwe.
“An optimistic Zimbabwean would be persuaded to think that the ‘noting’ of the Livingstone Troika report, the call for the appointment of the Troika representatives in Jomic and the raising of resources for Jomic independent of the parties are strides towards creating a toothful organ,” Gumbo said.
“Without these minimum conditions, Sadc remains toothless and has no power to deal with a resilient Zanu PF, which is a member of the club of former liberation movements in most governments in the region.’
Another analyst, a media activist who did not wish to be named, said by putting its foot down, Sadc was fighting for the cause of ordinary Zimbabweans who were not allowed to freely express themselves politically.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
“It was a victory for Zimbabweans because if the roadmap is fully implemented, Zimbabweans will have an opportunity to freely express themselves at the ballot box,” said the analyst.
President Robert Mugabe and his party, Zanu PF, say Sadc threw out the Livingstone Troika resolutions while Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC-T says the resolutions from Zambian resort town were reaffirmed in South Africa.
Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo said:
“Contrary to what the MDC formations and the private media would like people to believe, the Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Governments held in South Africa threw the Livingstone Troika communiqué into the dustbin and at the same time refused to entertain issues outside the Global Political Agreement.
“The deliberate misinformation and distortion of the Sadc Summit communiqué by the Western-sponsored MDC formations and the NGOs is intended to confuse the people of Zimbabwe. Such tactics will not alter the true position of the summit.”
But Luke Tamborinyoka, Tsvangirai’s spokesperson, said: “The Sadc Summit in Sandton endorsed the resolutions of Livingstone meeting and urged the Troika Organ to deploy its monitors to assist Jomic, in line with the recommendations of the Livingstone Troika summit. So it is clear that the spirit of Livingstone lives on.
”Leader of the smaller MDC party, Welshman Ncube, said:
“What was ‘noted’ at the Sadc summit was the factual foundation (narrative) of the Livingstone Troika report.”
