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MDC factions optimistic of Sadc initiative on Zim crisis
The Standard (Zimbabwe)
August 19, 2007

BOTH factions of the opposition MDC said yesterday they had confidence in the SADC initiative to solve the Zimbabwean crisis though regional leaders had not publicly talked tough about Harare at the end of their summit held in Zambia last week.

As in the run up to the SADC summit in Dar es Salaam in March this year, an earlier robust offensive, which saw Zimbabwe's justice minister telling the summit that no political reforms were needed in Zimbabwe, "because we are a democracy like any other democracy in the world" appeared to neutralise attempts to read Harare the riot act over its crackdown on opponents and failing to ease the country's economic meltdown.

Western diplomats interpreted this as another sign that Southern African nations do not have the resolve to influence President Robert Mugabe, who has drawn international criticism.

Southern African leaders in the end did not openly urge Mugabe to enact reforms in his country during the regional summit.

Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa, the new chairman of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), said the group of countries had relied on a report submitted by South Africa on Zimbabwe's crisis and had not raised the issue with Mugabe.

South African President Thabo Mbeki, who has been mediating between the Zimbabwean government and the opposition, submitted the report, which outlined his efforts, to the SADC summit.

"We are quite happy that Mr Thabo Mbeki was capable enough and was moving in the right direction," Mwanawasa said.

Emerging from the summit, regional leaders issued a communiqué welcoming "progress" of the talks between Zanu PF and the MDC.

Mwanawasa who once likened Zimbabwe to a sinking Titanic said Zimbabwe's problems were exaggerated. The statement appeared to mean that the leaders had sided with Mugabe who is accused of pursuing policies that have impoverished a once prosperous country.

But Nelson Chamisa, a spokesperson of the Morgan Tsvangirai-led faction of the MDC suggested Mugabe had been roasted by the regional leaders, keen to solve the Zimbabwean crisis.

"We know he (Mugabe) was told to change his way of running the country," said Chamisa. "We have full confidence in the efforts of the leaders and we want the SADC initiative to be fulfilled."

The MDC spokesperson made the comments after getting a briefing from an MDC delegation he said was still in Zambia late yesterday.

Gabriel Chaibva, a spokesperson of the rival faction led by Arthur Mutambara said yesterday the secrecy surrounding what was discussed during the closed door meeting showed that regional leaders were concerned about the crisis.

"This is clearly indicative that Zimbabwe is still on the agenda of the regional leaders," Chaibva said.

Members of the civil society organisations who were also in Zambia said they were well aware that Mugabe had a torrid time during a closed door three-hour session that discussed the Zimbabwean crisis.

Sources said an attempt by Mugabe's delegation to blame everything on sanctions was queried by some leaders who pointed at the ongoing price blitz as a creation of the government.

"The leaders could not have come out of the meeting and said Mugabe must go. They could not just reprimand him in public," said a member of a civic society organisation that returned from Zambia yesterday.

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