WASHINGTON DC —
Some Zimbabweans have dismissed as reckless remarks by President Robert Mugabe that he will pull the country out of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) if the regional body interferes in Zimbabwe’s internal affairs.
They said the president, who made the remarks when he launched the Zanu PF election campaign in Harare on Friday, has no power to pull the country out of SADC which recently urged the parties in the unity government to approach the courts and seek a fresh election date for the forthcoming polls.
The regional body strongly opposed President Mugabe’s unilateral declaration that elections will be held in Zimbabwe on July 31 as per a Constitutional Court ruling made recently.
The two Movement for Democratic Change formations sought SADC help to reverse the election date. The Constitutional Court has since ruled that the elections will be held July 31.
Political commentator Shadreck Guto of the University of South Africa said the president is getting it wrong though Zimbabwe can pull out of the voluntary entity.
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Interview With Shadrreck Guto [1]
Professor Guto said SADC is only pressing Zimbabwe to hold free and fair elections.
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Interview With Shadrreck Guto [2]
The president also told a cheerful crowd that he is not happy with the manner in which President Jacob Zuma’s international relations advisor, Lindiwe Zulu, handled the election date conflict at the last SADC summit in Maputo, Mozambique.
President Mugabe described Zulu as an idiotic and stupid little woman who wanted to block the July 31 elections. Professor Guto said South Africa should demand an immediate apology from Zimbabwe.
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Interview With Shadrreck Guto [3]
But political analyst Livingstone Dzikira says Zulu deserved such attacks.
