President Zuma convenes urgent SADC meeting on Zimbabwe

16 Novembre 2017

Cape Town, South Africa, November 16 (Infosplusgabon) - South African President Jacob Zuma, who is also chairperson of gthe Southern African Development Community (SADC), has convened a crisis meeting in Gaborone, Botswana, on Thursday to discuss the political crisis in Zimbabwe.

This is after the Zimbabwean Defence Force (ZDF) moved into the country’s capital, Harare, to “target criminals” aligned to President Robert Mugabe – the first signs of what appears to be a military coup.

President Mugabe’s decision to fire his Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, last week, brought to the surface the deep-seated factionalism within the ruling ZANU-PF.

President Zuma’s office confirmed that the meeting will be attended by foreign affairs ministers from several countries including Angola, Tanzania and Zambia.

He has urged the ZDF to show restraint, saying he hoped “they will not move and do more damage”.

On Wednesday, he dispatched South African Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and State Security Minister Bongani Bongo to Mugabe’s Harare mansion to assess the situation.

International Relations spokesperson Clayson Monyela says that all involved, including Mugabe, will be invited to negotiations aimed at resolving the impasse.

FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/EST/ GABON 2017

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