SADC summit ends in Maputo

The 32nd Ordinary Summit of the SADC heads of state and government has ended in Maputo, Mozambique.

President Robert Mugabe expressed confidence that the three political parties will abide by what was agreed on at the Troika.

Mugabe said the summit progressed well, adding that the final Communiqué on the summit will be issued by the SADC Executive Secretary.

President Mugabe added that as soon as he returns home, he will convene a meeting with other principals in the GPA to map the way forward on elections as well as having considerations on the draft constitution, as the draft is not final.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is reported to have slipped out of Mozambique unceremoniously after his MDC-T party attempted to bulldoze into the SADC heads of state closed door meeting but failed.

Sources close to the developments said Tsvangirai was frustrated after the SADC organising committee refused him entry into the first SADC closed door session that was held after the official opening of the summit.

According to sources, Tsvangirai, Professor Welshman Ncube, Professor Arthur Mutambara, Ministers Tendai Biti, Elton Mangoma, Jameson Timba and Priscilla Misihairambwi-Mushonga waited for hours on the sidelines of the summit anticipating to be called in but they were not.

Efforts to get a comment from Tsvangirai were fruitless as the premier was whisked out of the waiting room to Maputo Airport after giving an interview to the British Broadcasting Corporation news team.

SADC facilitator to the Global Political Agreement, President Jacob Zuma of South Africa had to cut short his mission to Mozambique after a report was made to the summit that there were some disturbances in his home country which have left a number of people dead.

Reports say at least 34 people were killed after police clashed with striking miners at South Africa's Marikana Mine.

President Zuma was supposed to present a full report on the progress made in the ongoing Zimbabwean constitution making process and the implementation of the GPA as whole in Zimbabwe.

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