Mugabe won't use Sadc chair to settle old scores

The incoming chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc), Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe moved at the weekend to quell down speculation that he would use his new position as Sadc chair to settle old scores with member states.

Mr Mugabe takes over the rotating chair of the 15-member Sadc from Malawi at a weekend summit that begins on Sunday and will be held in the resort town of Victoria Falls. Mr Mugabe told a Zanu-PF women's conference in the capital, Harare on Friday night that he considered every Sadc member state a friend, despite any past differences.

Mr Mugabe said; "As we assume the leadership of the Sadc this weekend, they are all our friends and we never want to make enemies. That is why you have not heard me wanting to criticise anyone publicly. If there are disagreements let us talk about it behind closed doors and not make it open. We don't want to feed the enemy with the wrong information that we are divided; the enemy which is Britain and America".

Mr Mugabe said Sadc member states could never be his true enemies, as the real enemy was the West, which he would not hesitate to speak openly about and criticize. The 90 year-old leader has in the past led an uneasy relationship with neighbouring Botswana. Botswana strongman, Ian Khama has openly criticised Mr Mugabe's past election wins in 2008 and 2013 - going against the grain by rejecting Zimbabwe's poll outcome and governance standards.

Mr Khama's top aide, Brigadier-General George Tlhalerwa told BDlive that the Botswana leader would attend the summit. He often also clashed with South African officials during the mediation efforts of President Jacob Zuma in Zimbabwe's political crisis with the main opposition, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) last year.

Political observers said Mr Mugabe was not keen to unruffle the regional leaders during his term, as he needed their support for the African Union chairmanship post which will be available next January. The theme of the summit is "SADC strategy for economic transformation: leveraging the region's diverse resources for sustainable economic and social development through beneficiation and value addition".

Its premise, which is based on the economic empowerment of the region, also offset suggestion that Harare would push through for a radicalisation of the regional bloc, pushing for member states to emulate its 51% indigenisation programme and land seizures. Elton Mangoma, a senior official in a rival MDC faction led by Tendai Biti, the former right hand man to Morgan Tsvangirai, said the summit theme was cheap rhetoric by the Zanu-PF government.

"Mr Mugabe is just good at rhetoric, but he has failed to get this country to run and is not to be trusted beyond listening to him", said Mr Mangoma. "All the other Sadc countries are developing and improving and so there is nothing to copy from Zimbabwe. All that we have seen is Mr Mugabe and his coterie benefiting from indigenisation and accumulating wealth. We don't believe that any of the Sadc countries must emulate anything from Zimbabwe, as he (Mr Mugabe) has failed to contribute anything meaningful to Zimbabwe in the last 34 years".

Meanwhile, the Swaziland Prime Minister, Sibusiso Dlamini on Friday was the first official to arrive for the summit. Other heads of state who will be in attendance include Mr Zuma, the Democratic Republic of Congo's Joseph Kabila, Namibia's outgoing leader Hifikepunye Pohamba, Mozambique‘s Armando Guebuza, Tanzania's Jakaya Kikwete, Seychelles James Alix Michel, Madagascar's Hery Rajaonarimampianina and outgoing chair, Malawi's Peter Mutharika. Zambia's vice president Guy Scott has also confirmed attendance - denting the likelihood that Michael Sata, who is reported to be unwell by Zambian media will attend the summit.