Mugabe's paper attacks Khama
Chakalisa Dube | Wednesday January 13, 2016 18:00
Khama is the current chairman of the regional bloc. The paper, which is government owned said that Khama as SADC leader has increasingly become very quiet and it appears the regional body has gone into hibernation.
The paper, a longtime critic of Khama called Robert Mugabe’s term as the SADC chairman a success.
Mugabe handed the reigns of SADC chair to Khama last August. “Many would be forgiven for thinking that the position (of SADC chairman) has been retired especially after the visible tenure of President Mugabe who set the seminal discussions on industrialisation and value addition,” writes the paper. The Zimbabwean daily publication also said Mugabe participated in regional pressing issues such as political problems in Lesotho and Madagascar.
The paper continued: “Five months down the line, nobody can be sure what is going on in his (Khama) mind as the face of the region.” The Herald also recommends that Khama should come out of the closet and address regional issues such as drought and food security as well as power challenges.
However, yesterday government spokesperson Jeff Ramsay accused the Zimbabwean media of lacking credibility and substance in its reporting. “I am currently on leave. Secondly, I do not comment on the Zimbabwean media because it has been writing nonsense about President Khama for many years. I cannot comment on that trash,” said Ramsay in his brief response through telephone.
Political commentator, Ndulamo Morima agreed with some of the views expressed by the newspaper.
“Although the Secretariat is tasked with doing most of the job, one would think that Khama as the political leader of SADC region would have at least been vocal on how to address most of the issues affecting the region. I do not remember him doing that but the region is currently in crisis facing drought, water and power challenges among others,” he said.
Morima is also of the view that as the political leader of the regional bloc, Khama should be convening regular meetings so that SADC leaders deliberate on issues affecting the region. He also said he doubts that even the SADC Council of Ministers, which is chaired by the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Kenneth Matambo, has met to discuss issues affecting the region.
“Regional meetings have been dismissed as talk shops but if they are organised when the region is facing a crisis like it is now, they give people hope,” he said.