Zimbabwe Seen Topping Southern African Regional Summit Agenda
Foreign ministers of the Southern African Development Community launched discussions on Thursday in Johannesburg amid speculation the crisis in Zimbabwe will top the SADC summit agenda in the light of recent political developments.
South African Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dhlamini Zuma addressed the ministers at the Sandton Convention Center, saying SADC is pleased with the progress achieved to date in resolving the crisis. South African President Thabo Mbeki is mediator for SADC in the power-sharing talks between Zimbabwe's ruling party and opposition.
Political analyst Oliver Saasa told reporter Carole Gombakomba of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that actions by President Mugabe and his government suggest his long-ruling ZANU-PF party is not negotiating in good faith, which could spell trouble for the region and lead to some divisions within the summit starting in earnest on Saturday.
Meanwhile, non-governmental organizations headed by the Congress of South African Trade Unions were organizing demonstrations against the expected presence of President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and King Mswati of Swaziland at the summit, characterizing them as illegitimate rulers who have committed or ordered human rights abuses.
Sources in Johannesburg said Zimbabwean NGO members were trickling into the city to join their South African-based counterparts.
Zimbabwean organizations expected to join the protests include the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, the Zimbabwe Exiles Forum, and the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions. Trade unionists from Swaziland are expected to turn out in force as well.
Spokesman Patrick Craven of COSATU told reporter Patience Rusere of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that Saturday's event is likely to be more effective because international attention has been focused on the Zimbabwean crisis since the country's March 29 elections.
Civil society organizations from Zimbabwe
Zim crisis to top SADC heads summit
HUMPHREY NKONDE
Correspondent
The crisis in Zimbabwe is likely to be one of the top issues at the forthcoming Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) summit of heads of state and government leaders to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, on August 16.
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Political, economic and social happenings in Zimbabwe can be expected to take centre stage because they have the potential to impact negatively on SADC's march to the envisaged regional integration and South Africa's hosting of the FIFA 2010 World Cup finals.
At the SADC meeting of heads of state held in August last year, it was anticipated that the economy of Zimbabwe would improve and pave the way for a Customs Union and Free Trade Area. To the contrary, Zimbabwe's economy has nose-dived while unemployment has reached the 80 percent mark.
Hyperinflation and unemployment has forced Zimbabweans to migrate to neighbouring countries such as Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique and Zambia.It is only when problems in Zimbabwe are solved that it will be easy for the regional bloc to form a viable Customs Union and Free Trade Area.
It will be difficult to trade with Zimbabwe as a result of hyperinflation. The Zimbabwe dollar has lost value since the price of bread has reached around Z$100 billion and newspapers are selling at Z$ 3billion a copy.
The vision by SADC countries to integrate their economies will be hampered by shortage of supply and expensive energy. Except for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), all the SADC countries are load shedding, hence the decision to hike electricity tariffs.
Just 11 days before the SADC meeting, there were protests by COSATU in Johannesburg and other places over the proposed increment of electricity tariffs by 27.5 percent. The surest way of assuring the region of reliable and affordable electricity is by harmonising power generation projects.
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