Zim coalition slams Banda and Guebuza

EPHRAIM KEORENG
Staff Writer | Thursday November 25, 2010 00:00

Speaking at a media briefing in Gaborone on Tuesday, coordinator of the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, Dewa Mavhinga condemned the two leaders' absence at last week's SADC event. He said the gathering of SADC leaders in Gaborone was scheduled to discuss the Zimbabwean situation but the two presidents chose to stay away, yet they are members of the crucial SADC Troika on Politics, Defence and Security. Banda is head of the troika while Guebuza is a member. Mavhinga said as key members of a troika, whose role is to address issues like the one in Zimbabwe, it is disappointing the two leaders failed to come to Gaborone.

'It is disappointing to note that the meeting did not take place because they did not come,' he said. Mmegi is reliably informed that the summit has been postponed.

The mediator in the Zimbabwe crisis, President Jacob Zuma of South Africa is expected to arrive in Harare this week to assess the situation and plan for the summit to be held in Zimbabwe in a few weeks time.

Meanwhile, speaking at the media briefing in Gaborone, a Zimbabwean who did not reveal his name said the country cannot go for elections using a negotiated electoral bill. He said SADC, which is the guarantor of the Global Political Agreement (GPA), should be held accountable to ensure it commits to incontestable elections.

'When authorities in Zimbabwe continue to say by June next year they will have elections, we should ask SADC to come in and do something because the situation is not conducive for elections at the moment,' he said.

He asserted that the GPA does not give President Robert Mugabe powers to call elections.

He was supported by the coalition's chairman Jona Gokova. 'The GPA gives both the principals of the government of unity such powers.

Mugabe cannot announce or declare elections by himself. However Mugabe has continuously ignored the GPA, saying it's not part of the constitution but at the moment, the constitution is superseded by the GPA,' Gokova stated.