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Communiqué on the 28th ordinary heads of state summit
SADC
August 17, 2008

Attendance at summit

Fourteen out of the fifteen SADC countries attended. President Khama of Botswana did not attend the Summit. [The Botswana Minister of Foreign Affairs had previously announced that President Khama would not attend because Botswana does not recognise Mr Mugabe's re-election as President.] Zambia was represented at the summit by its Minister of Foreign Affairs, as President Levy Mwanawasa was unable to attend because of ill health. Mr Mugabe was listed in the Summit's official documents as the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe.

Final Communiqué of the Summit

Zimbabwe situation

The Final Communiqué of the Summit [full text available on request] referred briefly to the situation in Zimbabwe:

"With regard to the ongoing challenges in Zimbabwe, summit noted the outcomes of the Extraordinary Summit of the Organ held during the course of the summit and reaffirmed its commitment to work with the people of Zimbabwe in order to overcome the challenges they are facing".

At a media briefing after the conclusion of the Summit Mr Mbeki was more informative, stressing the need for agreement on an "inclusive government" and the need for the negotiations to continue [record of the briefing, including questions and answers on Zimbabwe situation, available on request].

Other matters: The SADC Free Trade Area (FTA) was launched and the following legal instruments were signed:

• Agreement Amending the Treaty
• Protocol on Gender and Development,
• Protocol on Science, Technology and Innovation,
• Agreement Amending Article 20 of the Protocol on Trade,
• Agreement Amending Article 6 [tenure of Tribunal members] of the Protocol on the Tribunal and the Rules of Procedure Thereof.
• Seychelles was welcomed back as a member of SADC.

Extraordinary Summit of the SADC organ on Zimbabwe

On the margins of the Ordinary Summit, there was an Extraordinary Summit of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co- operation. This meeting was specifically to consider the latest political developments in Zimbabwe. All SADC members were represented [including Botswana, by its Foreign Minister]. It was chaired initially by President dos Santos of Angola [its outgoing chairperson] and later by King Mswati of Swaziland [its incoming chairperson]. The members of the Organ's Troika are now King Mswati, President Guebuza of Mozambique [Deputy Chairperson] and President dos Santos.

President Mbeki's briefing to the SADC organ

The meeting received from President Mbeki, in his capacity as Facilitator of the inter-party negotiations, a report containing all of the documents that have been negotiated and agreed to in the negotiations since the March 2007 Extraordinary SADC Summit in Tanzania, including a Draft Constitution that was agreed to in September last year.

SADC organ communiqué

In a Communiqué issued on 17th August [full text available on request] the Organ:

1. Expressed strong opinion that documents as contained in the Facilitator's Report reflect the framework, spirit and purpose of the SADC and AU Resolutions. In view of that, they are a good basis for a global agreement;
2. Encouraged and appealed to the parties to sign any outstanding agreements and conclude the negotiations as a matter of urgency to restore political stability in Zimbabwe;
3. Recognised that while negotiations are continuing, it may be necessary to convene Parliament to give effect to the will of the people as expressed in the Parliamentary elections held on 29 March
   2008".

[Note: MDC, who in fact won the majority of seats in the Lower House, have expressed opposition to the convening of Parliament and have pointed out that under the MoU it had been agreed that Parliament would not be convened "save by consensus" of all the parties.]

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