via Zim to host SADC meeting as Mugabe takes over Chairmanship | SW Radio Africa by Alex Bell on Friday, March 21, 2014
Zimbabwe is set to host the next regional Heads of State Summit in Victoria Falls, which will see Robert Mugabe taking over the chairmanship of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
According to a Chronicle newspaper report a preparatory meeting will be taking place next week with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the summit taking place in August. A local organising committee was formed this week ahead of the planning meeting, composed of representatives from a cross section of different government departments as well as the police, the army and the tourism sector.
The hosting of the SADC meeting comes off the back of the ‘successful’ hosting of last year’s international United Nations (UN) tourism summit in 2013. That UN meeting, which took place in the weeks after the disputed electoral ‘victory’ by ZANU PF, resulted in international condemnation. The UN tourism authority was harshly criticised for endorsing the flawed Zim elections and the contested result, by going ahead with the Victoria Falls meeting.
The SADC Heads of State summit meanwhile will coincide with Robert Mugabe’s ascension to the Chairmanship of the leadership body. He was appointed to the Deputy Chairmanship position last year, in a move that was also roundly condemned as a sign of SADC’s loyalty to the ageing ZANU PF leader.
Dewa Mavhinga, senior researcher with Human Rights Watch, said the decision to appoint Mugabe to the SADC leadership was “an admission of failure of leadership” by the regional body.
He also criticised the hosting of the summit in Victoria Falls while the rest of the country was suffering with a shortage of food, unemployment and a rapidly declining economy.
“Victoria Falls is far removed from the reality in Zimbabwe. It is an elitist venue that is reflective of how disconnected the Zimbabwean leadership is,” Mavhinga told SW Radio Africa.
Former Chegutu farmer Ben Freeth, whose attempts to have the SADC human rights Tribunal restored were dashed by the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights (TEXT LINK: http://www.swradioafrica.com/2014/03/05/top-african-court-powerless-to-reinstate-sadc-tribunal/ ), meanwhile said he was “outraged” by the SADC developments.
“We have a situation where the Commission allows the dictators of Southern Africa to get away with destroying the highest human rights court of the region, and these same heads of state are now making Mugabe, who is responsible for the destruction of the court, the chairman of SADC,” Freeth told SW Radio Africa on Friday.
He added: “What we have clearly is a group of people who are not there with the aims of protecting the rights of its people, but who are only there to protect their own power. This summit in Victoria Falls just shows that they really don’t care.”
COMMENTS
Another talk shop, where they will laud RGM to the heavens and then rush off, sample gallons of Johnny Walker blue label and sample the delights of the local ladies. Trash
It would have to be a chair. The man is no good for standing. Too old.
SADC is really putting its best face to the world. Making this useless old retread their head tells us what they are all about
How the heck do you keep “sleepy” awake to chair the meeting…will need a gallon or two of that 5 hour energy drink..
Say something clever and stimulate his mind….
Isint that his NAP time !!!!
Guys , I dont really know the role of SADC in Africa.i can tell u the waste is bound to happen in Africa by these bunch of cannibal dictators .They don’t care about people ‘s welfare
I believe its good that they give the post to bob the destroyer. This clearly shows how useless the grouping is in anyway. No wonder KHAMA is relactant to be involved. Bob the destroyer will tear this grouping to pieces in his sleep.
Is this SADC’s farewell gift to bob? no wonder Zim is the SAD part of Sadc and sadc are clueless. No respect for them except bots
Few reasonable people would deny that President Mugabe has made destitute his country but nevertheless he remains a very popular figure amongst black people in southern Africa.
How can this paradox be explained ? Simply by the fact that he has driven the whites out. The question to ask is whether Zimbabwe is a pilot fish for southern Africa or not ?
John your concern is not Africa’s solution it seems the easiest way to loot Africa’s resourceful lands because you are not African and no one informed you to intermediate or arbitrate among Africa’s heads, SADC may choose their own chair is up to them and it is not your concern to comment, they choose you agree, otherwise keep silent, Africa is united not as you thought.
Word!!
Yes Africa is united at leadership level but their subjects are suffering. Jonny is simply talking about the continent ‘s lack of managing those resources. Its who is just trying to be a racist for nothing.
If the leadership is good enough, others will follow nearest time. But the question is, will those who are starving and unable to live without Africans be out of our continent, they mislead those who are nitwit in the continent and make trouble with others, so none of the west people allow Africa to get peace and management as well, so MAJONI you should take part to rebuild Africa again that is the origin of everyone, i am telling you no one has original base or lineage unless AFRICA!!
I think we must accept that HE the President of Zimbabwe is among the founding fathers of SADC, his leadership has come at the opportune time when man of spine are hard to come-by. The man has seen it all, he is no novice to the politics of ‘pseudo glorification’ which most of the African leaders are showered with, he is the champion of black empowerment, the only country were blacks are valued as a people. Look at the massacre of blacks happening in USA, the self claimed champion of democracy of the world; under the leadership of a black president. isn’t it a shame. Come to Zimbabwe and see value in the black race.