SADC to meet urgently over Zimbabwe
Bame Piet | Friday November 17, 2017 13:05
South African Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maite Nkoana Mashabane landed in Gaborone yesterday afternoon to meet with SADC Executive Secretary, Dr Stegomena Lawrence Tax, other diplomats and high level dignitaries from the region.
The closed-door meeting, which was held at SADC Headquarters and lasted for several hour,s could not immediately come up with a solution.
“The meeting will come up with recommendations to the Chair, His Excellency Jacob Zuma on the way forward,” Mashabane said briefly before the meeting.
It was only late in the evening at 6:30pm that the meeting concluded its business with a communiqué stating its position.
“The SADC Organ Troika Plus Council Chairperson Ministerial Meeting was held at the SADC Secretariat in Gaborone, on November 16, 2017, comprising the Republic of South Africa (Chairperson of Council of Ministers), Republic of Angola (Chairperson of Organ), Republic of Zambia (Incoming Chairperson of Organ) and United Republic of Tanzania (Outgoing Chairperson of Organ)”. The objective of the meeting was to consider the unfolding situation in the Republic of Zimbabwe, the communiqué said.
It further said that SADC Organ Troika Plus Council Chairperson Ministerial Meeting noted with great concern- the unfolding situation in the Republic of Zimbabwe.
“SADC Organ Troika Plus Council Chairperson Ministerial Meeting reafirmed SADC’s commitment to African Union (AU) Constitutive Act and the SADC's Democratic Principles, as they relate to the unconstitutional removal of democratically elected Governments”.
“SADC Organ Troika Plus Council Chairperson Ministerial Meeting further reafirmed the need for SADC Member States to remain guided by their Constitutions”.
SADC Organ Troika Plus Council Chairperson Ministerial Meeting called upon all stakeholders in Zimbabwe to settle the political challenges through peaceful means
“Having considered the unfolding situation in the Republic of Zimbabwe, the Organ Troika recommended the convening of an urgent Extra Ordinary SADC Summit and committed to remain seized with the situation in the Republic of Zimbabwe.
Mashabane could not reveal whether the region would consider military intervention to resolve the impasse.