SADC organ troika plus council chairperson ministerial meeting on Zimbabwe situation today

By Wallace Mawire [caption id="attachment_41582" align="alignleft" width="650"] South Africa's Zuma and President Lungu of Zambia at a previous SADC meeting[/caption] The Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), President Jacob Zuma of South Africa has called for a meeting to discuss the unfolding political and security situation in Zimbabwe, according to the SADC Secretariat in Botswana. According to Barbara Lopi, Senior Officer, Public Relations Unit, SADC Secretariat, the meeting will be held on the today at the SADC Secretariat in Gaborone, Botswana. She said that the meeting will be attended by the Ministers responsible for Foreign or External Affairs from the SADC Organ Troika Member States, namely, Republic of Angola, United Republic of Tanzania and Republic of Zambia, plus the SADC Council Chairperson who is the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation for South Africa. It is also reported that President Jacob Zuma, on behalf of SADC, has noted with great concern the unfolding political situation in the Republic of Zimbabwe. Zuma has called for calm and restraint and has expressed hope that developments in Zimbabwe would not lead to unconstitutional changes of government saying that would be contrary to both SADC and African Union positions. He has urged the government of the Republic of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) to resolve the political impasse amicably and has urged the ZDF to ensure that the maintenance of peace and security in the country is not compromised. “SADC will continue to closely monitor the situation and remains ready to assist where necessary to resolve the political impasse in keeping with established SADC Protocols and processes,”Zuma said. SADC is an organisation of 16 Member States established in 1980. The mission of SADC is to promote sustainable and equitable economic growth and socio-economic development through efficient, productive systems, deeper cooperation and integration, good governance and durable peace and security, so that the region emerges as a competitive and effective player in international relations and the world economy.