SADC and the spectre of more Zim refugees

The appeal was issued when SADC met in a summit at the Mozambican capital, Maputo, a few days after Mugabe and his ZANU-PF unilaterally announced the election date, much to the chagrin of Mugabe's partner in the star-crossed Government of National Unity (GNU) and political nemesis, Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), that immediately rejected the date.

The SADC appeal was premised on the aging dictator Mugabe's argument that selection of the date was based on an order of Zimbabwe's Constitutional Court that elections be held by end of July and Tsvangirai's cogent rebuttal that the date was too soon to allow for media and security reforms necessary for a free and fair poll.