BRENNA MATENDERE
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa failed to capitalise on the opportunity to finally exorcise the 2023 general elections ghost at the just-ended 44th Sadc summit held in Harare.
Mnangagwa hogged the lime light and concentrated on optics, but could not sanitise, revise or reverse the damning Sadc Electoral Observer Mission Report which rejected his re-election last year. He assumed the rotational chair of Sadc at the 17 August summit, stoking a wave of euphoria among his supporters in Zanu PF and government-owned companies.
The Sadc summit was important for Mnangagwa not only because he assumed the chairmanship of the regional bloc, but also in that he wanted to use it to attain a veneer of legitimacy.
Mnangagwa survived intense scrutiny after the August elections, with regional leaders deliberating on the widely condemned polls.
He however got a reprieve, partly because the main opposition CCC failed to mount a court challenge amid concerns it failed to gather enough evidence because the party did not deploy adequate polling agents at polling stations.
Many observers also believed the opposition did not have a strategy to challenge the results.
At one time, Zambian leader Hakainde Hichilema, who was chairperson of the Sadc organ on politics, defence and security cooperation, seemed to be pushing more than the opposition.
The Sadc electoral observer mission’s report highlighted that Zimbabwe’s general elections had violated the country’s constitution, the Electoral Act and the regional body’s Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections.
This meant that the elections were neither free, fair nor credible. Sadc leaders received the controversial election observer mission report on Zimbabwe at an extraordinary summit of heads of state and government in Luanda, Angola, on 4 November 2023 despite Harare’s attempts to ensure that its polls were off the agenda.
The summit appointed a sub-committee which included Angola, Namibia and Tanzania to handle the Zimbabwe situation, while delicate private talks were occurring within the regional grouping’s circles.
Sadc leaders had initially convened five days earlier for a virtual summit before deciding to meet in person in Luanda to discuss mainly the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zimbabwe.
The summit came against a backdrop of resistance by Mnangagwa and his Foreign Affairs minister Fredrick Shava to have Zimbabwe on the agenda at the meeting.
Sadc chair Angolan President João Lourenço and Hichilema successfully warded off Mnangagwa and Shava’s pressure to remove Zimbabwe from the agenda.
Prior to the summit, the Sadc council of ministers and the troika of the organ on politics, defence and security had met virtually on 26 and 27 October, respectively, to discuss the same issues — the DRC and Zimbabwe.
Sadc ministers stood firm behind their election observer mission led by former Zambian vice-president Nevers Mumba who was appointed by Hichilema.
The Zambian leader and Mumba came under vicious attack from Zanu PF and Zimbabwe government officials.
They rejected the bile and insults directed at them by Zanu PF and government.
Much of the venomous attacks came from ruling party spokesperson Chris Mutsvangwa, who was War Veterans minister at the time, and Mnangagwa’s spokesperson George Charamba.
Hichilema was privately pushing for Sadc to tackle the Zimbabwe issue amid diplomatic manoeuvres by different stakeholders involved.
Mnangagwa used the United Nations General Assembly in September last year to engage and lobby Sadc leaders who were pushing for an extraordinary summit after the electoral observer mission’s preliminary report highlighted that Zimbabwe’s general elections had violated the constitution, Electoral Act and the regional body’s Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections.
The final report highlighted the same concerns, meaning Zimbabwe’s elections were neither free, fair nor credible in the eyes of Sadc.
Chaired by Lourenço, the summit was attended by heads of state and government or their representatives: DRC President Félix Tshisekedi, President Cyril Ramaphosa (South Africa), President Samia Suluhu Hassan (Tanzania), Hichilema (Zambia), Prime Minister Sam Matekane (Lesotho), Vice-President Nangolo Mbumba (Namibia), Dr Lemogang Kwape (Foreign minister Botswana), Nancy Gladys Tembo (Foreign minister Malawi), Verónica Nataniel Macamo Dlhovo (Foreign minister Mozambique), Thabisile Mlangeni (Eswatini) and Mnangagwa (Zimbabwe), among others
