SADC leaders meeting in Luanda, Angola, on Friday to discuss trade issues, as well as the political and security situation in Zimbabwe, are expected to reject President Robert Mugabe's demands for early elections without full implementation of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) and polls roadmap.
The explosive meeting could ruin Mugabe's election plans and leave him with a politically-suicidal option of unilaterally calling for polls later this year.
The Sadc troika on politics, defence and security chaired by the regional bloc's mediator in the Zimbabwe, South African President Jacob Zuma is expected to meet this morning (8am) to review the political situation in Zimbabwe before submitting its report to the leaders who meet later in the day.
"The troika, which includes Zambian President Michael Sata and Tanzanian leader Jakaya Kikwete, meets tomorrow (Friday) morning and Zuma will present a report in his capacity as its chairman and facilitator in Zimbabwe," a senior Sadc diplomat said.
"After that the report will be presented to the main summit in the afternoon where procedurally it will either be adopted as it is, with amendments or rejected."
The troika was supposed to meet yesterday but the meeting was delayed to today because Zuma was only due to arrive in Luanda last night at 9pm. Apart from South Africa, other members of the troika are Zambia and Tanzania.
Mugabe last week sent envoys to the troika members and other regional leaders to lobby for early polls. Zuma's team was in Harare on Monday.
Sadc diplomats and Zimbabwe's political party negotiators said last night Zuma is expected to brief Sadc leaders on the progress made in Zimbabwe so far but insist on the full implementation of the GPA, the elections roadmap and Sadc resolutions made in previous summits, including in Windhoek, Livingstone, Sandton and Luanda last year.
Sadc diplomats said it was unlikely that Zuma and other leaders would allow Zimbabwe to go for polls without implementing the GPA, including producing a new constitution, and elections roadmap.
Zuma's international relations advisor Lindiwe Zulu last night seemed to confirm Zuma would push for implementation of the GPA before elections. "The facilitator will give a report to the troika on the progress on implementation of the GPA or lack of it," said Zulu. "As the facilitators, we are committed to the issue of Zimbabwe. We also found all the parties are committed to the GPA and as to the implementation that will be dealt with by President Zuma and Sadc leaders."
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