A DIPLOMATIC offensive by the Nelson Chamisa-led MDC within the Sadc region appears to be hitting a brick wall as the bloc has indicated that there are no issues threatening security and politics in Zimbabwe to warrant putting the country on the agenda of the August summit in Tanzania.<\/p>\n
Sadc executive secretary Stergomena Lawrence Tax, currently in the country ahead of the summit, said she was not aware of any issues in Zimbabwe or raised by the opposition MDC to warrant putting the country on the agenda of the August 17-19 summit.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are the issues? Why are they pushing for a country to be put on the agenda? We have procedures and don\u2019t put a member state of Sadc on the agenda because
\nwe have been pushed to do that,\u201d Tax said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are issues we have to consider and I have never received anything from the opposition. Sadc has also not received anything from the opposition, so I
\ncannot discuss something which I have not seen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chamisa has vowed to pile pressure on Sadc, the African Union and the international community to force President Emmerson Mnangagwa to the negotiating table
\nwith the MDC to resolve the country\u2019s escalating economic crisis.<\/p>\n
The youthful opposition leader argues that Mnangagwa is an illegitimate leader who stole the July 30, 2018 general elections from him and should, therefore,
\nstep down and allow for fresh elections before completing his fire-year term, which ends in 2023.<\/p>\n
Sadc has, however, endorsed Mnangagwa\u2019s victory and will be handing him the rotating chairmanship of the organ on politics, peace and security in August.
\n\u201cI am very happy to be here in Harare to brief the President of Zimbabwe, as you are all aware that he is our incoming chairperson of the organ on politics,
\npeace and security and that he will be taking over in August 2019,\u201d Tax said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat being the case, he is expected to guide the region in terms of politics, peace and security issues. We had a very fruitful meeting and we have touched on<\/p>\n
a number of issues, for instance, the obligation of Zimbabwe as the incoming chairperson of the organ, the responsibilities and issues to be followed up.\u201d
\nMDC deputy spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka said it was an anomaly that Zimbabwe could be allowed to chair an organ of the regional bloc given that the country
\nwas slipping into a state of anarchy because of the economic meltdown and disputed election results.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is an anomaly that Zimbabwe should be chairing anything at the moment given the insecurity in the country, because of the economic instability,\u201d
\nTamborinyoka said.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeace and security is threatened and the country can implode at any moment, yet Sadc says Zimbabwe should chair an organ on peace and security. Instead, they
\nshould be a subject of discussion.\u201d<\/p>\n
The MDC said it was time that the Sadc leadership took seriously the unfolding crisis facing the country and act before it implodes, but government has warned it would ruthlessly crush any attempt to destabilise peace and security in the country.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A DIPLOMATIC offensive by the Nelson Chamisa-led MDC within the Sadc region appears to be hitting a brick wall as the bloc has indicated that there are no issues threatening security and politics in Zimbabwe to warrant putting the country on the agenda of the August summit in Tanzania. Sadc executive secretary Stergomena Lawrence Tax, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":950,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,8,10],"tags":[113,709,88,120,585],"class_list":{"0":"post-10398","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-all-news","8":"category-head-lines","9":"category-parties","10":"tag-chamisa","11":"tag-hara","12":"tag-mdc","13":"tag-parties","14":"tag-sadc"},"yoast_head":"\n