Zimbabwe in the spotlight at Southern Africa summit

LUSAKA – The crisis in Zimbabwe will dominate the agenda at a regional gathering of Southern African leaders here this week, but analysts see little chance of a significant shift in policy towards Harare.

The meeting of heads of state from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which begins on Thursday in Lusaka, is expected to confirm the 14-nation regional bloc’s stance of ‘quiet diplomacy’ with the government of Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe. “SADC has no muscle, no enforcement abilities,” Moeletsi Mbeki, deputy chairman of the South African Institute for International Affairs, told AFP.”SADC has no power to make the Zimbabwean government do anything.”Chris Maroleng, a Zimbabwean expert at the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies, said the SADC’s track record showed it was unlikely to publicly condemn Mugabe or his ruling Zanu-PF.”There is very little it can do outside some kind of diplomatic initiative.”South African President Thabo Mbeki will report to the summit on his efforts to mediate a political stand-off between Zanu-PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change.Fellow SADC leaders, faced with a rising flood of Zimbabwean refugees to their countries, mandated Mbeki in March to broker talks following a violent clampdown by Mugabe’s government on opposition supporters.A Zimbabwean government report last week claimed an agreement with the opposition may be reached soon, despite the ruling party being accused of thwarting negotiations.A Harare official said spotlighting Zimbabwe at the SADC gathering in the Zambian capital would be playing into the hands of Mugabe’s western critics.”This is a normal meeting of the SADC leaders, but we are aware at every summit there are people trying to put Zimbabwe in the spotlight,” Deputy Information Minister Bright Matonga told AFP at the weekend.”We are aware of efforts by the West to divide African nations over Zimbabwe but the good thing is African leaders are aware of these machinations.”Zimbabwe is in the throes of an economic crisis with inflation well past the 5 000 per cent mark, four in every five people jobless and no less than 80 per cent of the population living below the poverty threshold.Other summit discussion points include regional economic integration, as well as the political situation in Lesotho and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).Lesotho has been rocked by political unrest since the disputed outcome of elections in March which saw Prime Minister Phakalita Mosisili returned to power for a third term.And the DRC is in the throes of transition after a devastating civil war which culminated in the first democratic elections in four decades last year.The east of the country remains unstable and opposition leader Jean-Pierre Bemba is in exile.Nampa-AFP”SADC has no muscle, no enforcement abilities,” Moeletsi Mbeki, deputy chairman of the South African Institute for International Affairs, told AFP.”SADC has no power to make the Zimbabwean government do anything.”Chris Maroleng, a Zimbabwean expert at the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies, said the SADC’s track record showed it was unlikely to publicly condemn Mugabe or his ruling Zanu-PF.”There is very little it can do outside some kind of diplomatic initiative.”South African President Thabo Mbeki will report to the summit on his efforts to mediate a political stand-off between Zanu-PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change.Fellow SADC leaders, faced with a rising flood of Zimbabwean refugees to their countries, mandated Mbeki in March to broker talks following a violent clampdown by Mugabe’s government on opposition supporters.A Zimbabwean government report last week claimed an agreement with the opposition may be reached soon, despite the ruling party being accused of thwarting negotiations.A Harare official said spotlighting Zimbabwe at the SADC gathering in the Zambian capital would be playing into the hands of Mugabe’s western critics.”This is a normal meeting of the SADC leaders, but we are aware at every summit there are people trying to put Zimbabwe in the spotlight,” Deputy Information Minister Bright Matonga told AFP at the weekend.”We are aware of efforts by the West to divide African nations over Zimbabwe but the good thing is African leaders are aware of these machinations.”Zimbabwe is in the throes of an economic crisis with inflation well past the 5 000 per cent mark, four in every five people jobless and no less than 80 per cent of the population living below the poverty threshold.Other summit discussion points include regional economic integration, as well as the political situation in Lesotho and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).Lesotho has been rocked by political unrest since the disputed outcome of elections in March which saw Prime Minister Phakalita Mosisili returned to power for a third term.And the DRC is in the throes of transition after a devastating civil war which culminated in the first democratic elections in four decades last year.The east of the country remains unstable and opposition leader Jean-Pierre Bemba is in exile.Nampa-AFP