Communique: Extraordinary Summit of the SADC Heads of State and Government: Presidential Guest House, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa, 26-27 January 2009
January 27th, 2009
1. The Extra-Ordinary Summit of the SADC Heads of State and Government met at the Presidential Guest house in Pretoria, Republic of South Africa on 26-27 January 2009. The Extraordinary Summit met to review the implementation of the Zimbabwe Global Political Agreement.
2. The Extraordinary Summit was chaired by H.E. Kgalema Motlanthe, Chairperson of SADC and President of the Republic of South Africa
3. The Extraordinary Summit was attended by the following Heads of State and Government or their representatives:
Botswana H.E. President Lt. Gen Seretse Khama Ian Khama
Lesotho Right Honourable Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili
Mozambique H.E. President Armando Emilio Guebuza, Deputy Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.
Namibia H.E. President Hifikepunye Pohamba
South Africa H.E. President Kgalema Motlanthe Chairperson of SADC
Swaziland H.M. King Mswati 111, Chairpeson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation
United Republic of Tanzania H.E. President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete
Zambia H.E. Rupiah Banda
Zimbabwe H.E. H.E. President Robert Gabriel Mugabe
Angola Hon Assuncao Dos Anjos, Minister of External affairs
DRC Hon.Alexis Thambwe Muamba, Minister of Foreign affairs
Seychelles Honourable Patrick Pillay, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Malawi Hon George Chaponda, Minister of Local Governmnt and Rural development
Madagascar Hon Dr Denis Andriamandroso, Madagascar Ambassador to South Africa
Mauritius Mr Anund Priyay Neewor, GOSK, Secretary of Foreign Affairs
4. The meeting was also attended by His Excellency Thabo Mbeki, Former President of the Republic of South Africa and SADC Facilitator on the Zimbabwe Political Dialogue, Leaders of MDC Formations, Right Honourable Morgan Tsvangirai, Prime Minister Designate and Professor Welshman Ncube,representing Professor Arthur Mutambara, Deputy Prime Minister Designate of the Republic of Zimbabwe, and the Executive Secretary of SADC, Dr. Tomaz Augusto Salomão.
5. In his opening remarks, His Excellency President Kgalema Motlanthe, Chairpeson of SADC and President for the Republic of South Africa welcomed all delegates to the meeting and re-affirmed SADC’s commitment to finding a lasting solution to the implementation of the Zimbabwe global political agreement.
6. The Extraordinary Summit noted that the people of zimbabwe are faced with difficult challenges and suffering that can only be addressed once an inclusive governmnet in in place.
7. In view of the above, the Extraordinary Summit decided as follows:
(i) the parties shall endeavour to cause parliament to pass the constitutional ammendemnet 19 by 5 february 2009.
(ii) the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Ministers shall be sworn in by 11 february 2009:
(iii) the Ministers and Deputy Ministers shall be sworn in on 13 february 2009, which will conclude the process of the formation on the inclusive governmnt.
(iv) The Joint-Monitoring Implementation Committee (JOMIC), provided for in the Global Political Agreement shall be activated immediately. The first meeting of JOMIC shall be convened by the facilitator on 30 January 2009 and shall, among other things, elect the chairpesons;
(v) The allocation of ministerial portfolios endorsed by the SADC Extraordinary Summit held on 9 November 2008 shall be reveiwed six (6) months after the inauguration of the inclusive governmnet.
(vi) The appointements of the Reserve Bank Governor and the Attprney General will be dealt with by the inclusive government after its formation
(vii) The negotiators of the parties shall meet immediately to consider the natioanl security bill submitted by the MDCT-T as well as the formula for the ditribution of governors:
8. The Extraordinary Summit expressed its appreciarion for the efforts of His Excellency Thabo Mbeki, Former President of the republic of South sfrica and the Facilitator of the political dialogue on Zimbabwe in helping to find an amicable solution to challenges facing the Republic of Zimbabwe and encouraged him to continue with his facilitation efforts.
9. The Extraordinary Summit commended the political parties to the Global Political Agreement for their opennnes and constructive engagement in finding a lasting solutio to the challenges facing Zimbabwe.
10. SADC shall remain seized with the Zimbabwe situation in keeping wth its obligations as guarantor of the Global Poliical Agreement.
11. The Extraordinary Summit directed the chairperson of the SADC to present the African Union at its forthcoming summit a progress report on the implementation of the Sham- El-Sheik Resolution
12. The Extraordinary Summit received a brief on the prevailing security situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo and supports the govermnet efforts to findimng a lasting solutionb to the conflict in the Eastern part of the country. The government of the DRC expressed it gratitude to SADC for the support thau far rendered.
13. The Extraordinary Summit also urged the interantional community to continue providing the people of the Democratic republic of Congo with humanitarian assistance.
14. His Excellecy President Kgalema Motlathe officially closed the extraordinary summit
Pretoria, Republic of South Africa
27 January 2009
January 27th, 2009 13:39
SADC need to educate themselves on the meaning of the term “the will of the people”. They also need to teach themselves how to spell!
January 27th, 2009 13:58
missed oportunity again from SADC…virtually the same document as November with just the date changed…MDC scrabbling around again…when will this end?!
January 27th, 2009 14:41
The SADC is a complete and utter useless childish charade. Endless shots of big fat jovial leaders on red carpets, handshaking and back slapping. And at the end of a long day talking, the result is the same as the last big SADC pow wow. Where is the logic Mr Motlanthe? Are you totally deaf and blind? It is obvious you don’t listen to the masses and the world. Get rid of that tyrant and his regime in your back yard, and you will fix a big problem. If not, I am convinced it will backfire on South Africa.
Motlanthe said the main party leaders should “not fail the continent….. what a load of RUBBISH! Motlanthe is the failure, Mbeki is a total failure! He’s had ten years of negotiations with Mugabe. About what? Diamond mines? The SADC is also a hopeless failure. To have so many meetings only to come to the same conclusion each time is an incredible feat. It’s like a bunch of children at play in a kindergarten. They have failed a nation in desperate need of change from a brutal and corrupt regime. They have failed millions of starving people from getting proper care.
Mugabe and his corrupt regime may have the backing of the useless and floundering SADC, but the irony is, in the end, this will get them nowhere, because they have no idea how to govern a nation. And massive foreign aid will not arrive until the greedy and brutal Mugabe regime is gone for good.
January 27th, 2009 17:31
Two things beggar belief.
1. That SADC did not compel Mugabe to immediately release all MDC political prisoners.
2. That Mugabe was allowed to sit in on the closed session. What on earth does ‘closed’ mean… ?
SADC are a living demonstration to the world as to why Africa doesn’t work..
January 27th, 2009 19:25
Looks like the same ploy – SADC stonewalling MDC into a corner and Mugabe smuggly hitching a ride on SADC’s coat tails. If SADC can’t, or wont get rid of the problem on one side of the equation – Mugabe – then their next best shot is to remove MDC. They therefore make so-called resolutions, rulings and solutions, Mugabe puts on his holier than thou expression and MDC will be made out to be the divisionary obstructionists in the process. Once so discredited (as will be loudly voiced in short time by Mugabe), SADC can jump on the ZANU-PF bandwagon and toss MDC out with relief.
I note Mugabe’s usual attempts at scene setting, and was pictured securely grasping the hand of Motlanthe. I wonder if Mbeki knows about this double-dating that’s going on. Despite palms so intimately pressed together I guess there’s still room for the grease between.
January 27th, 2009 19:40
Whilst Mugabe is widely seen to be an illegitimate head of state, SADC, on the other hand, decided that he was worthy of two accordances of title in their communique -
Zimbabwe H.E. H.E. President Robert Gabriel Mugabe
Could this be somebody’s Freudian slip, because it looks like a laugh to me.
January 27th, 2009 20:20
LOL! You’re on form tonight Malcolm.
Hope.
January 27th, 2009 20:39
Does Mugabe hand round little packets of diamonds to all the heads of state who come to these meetings?
January 28th, 2009 00:08
Surely by now we all know that this unity government plan is never going to work and that the SADC are very happy with Mugabe remaining in his seat. What is plan B ? Daily the people of Zimbabwe are suffering and dying, and still no solution to the problem. What a shame that these leaders are only thinking of themselves, well that is how it seems.When is this going to end ?
January 28th, 2009 01:18
SADC honestly what are you meeting to talk about wasting time and tax payers money its just like these members are having a holiday for God `sake what more do you want to see that people of Zimbabwe have suffered more than enough and need an urgent intervention not the way you are handling it.
Thanks to Ian Khama for your good heart and trasparency honestly how can heads of states fight to protect an 85yr old tyrant on the expense of more than 11million young people tomorrow leaders right now education has totally collapsed and what do you want us to do we long said it we need a change of government we are tired of these THUGS! Veduwe nemwiwo Mwari chiuyai henyu mutitore we cant carry this anymore
January 28th, 2009 06:40
SADC (and Bob and Morgan) would certainly have many more of their grandiose red carpet meetings ahead if Morgan were to capitulate!!
The agenda would be to urge Mugabe to fulfil what SADC says he’ll do “afterwards” (see the stark and reasonable MDC sticking points), but which he has made consistently clear that he won’t consider “now”.The ongoing infringements of what he signed originally don’t seem to worry SADC at all!!
But by then, Morgan would be part of the problem, and would have lost credibility as well as the support he now enjoys of: the Zimbabwean people, the diaspora, Jean Ping of the AU, the USA, the UK, the EU – in fact, all those who regard Mugabe as the tyrant he is rather than just an “uneasy political bedfellow”. You can’t support the PM in a unity government without supporting the President, and who wants to prop him up a day longer than necessary? None of the above!
I love the HE HE which I noticed as an error but didn’t see the humour – thanks for the smile, Malcolm!
January 28th, 2009 10:43
I have just heard that Morgan actually wants ‘in’ to try to govern Zimbabwe along with the murderous tyrant.
(So who has been telling the truth about the outcome of the latest summit?)
All those groups fighting for justice and freedom for the people of Zimbabwe must not let up for a moment. Morgan and the MDC will now be too busy just trying to survive politically!
January 28th, 2009 19:42
What a shame for Africa. [edit] The world saw MT win the March elections but the African leaders saw otherwise let Africa rot.
January 29th, 2009 19:30
Africa – the (in)contintinent ruled by deliquents and morons, and peopled by a sad mix of cowards & ostriches. Just add sand.
Go ahead – prove me wrong! I’d very much like to be wrong. I am a white African, still in Africa, and I, and pretty much everyone I know sadly fits one or other derisive description.
I catch myself always hoping someone else will make it all go away. But they won’t will they? Why should they? In fact – WHO are “they”? That is the problem, isn’t it? We are “they”.
For this I am deeply sorry.