Why has SADC failed to put pressure on Mugabe to reform?
When I wear my political hat as an activist, I sometimes find myself on the political bandwagon of people who say SADC has failed. But when I wear my hat as a political observer, I dont share that view. I dont think the evidence supports a conclusion that says SADC has failed. The impatience of people on the ground invites that conclusion. The reality is different. I think if you look very closely at how this Zimbabwean crisis has unfolded over the past nine years, you will see a dramatic shift by SADC, especially if you look at it against the background of what we all know to be the SADC essence. The essence of SADC is a solidarity organisation, it starts with the premise that we are all the same, we share the same values, we are here to stand for one another. We are victims of a common colonial history and so forth. But we have seen SADC shifting gradually from a reflexive expression of solidarity with Zimbabwe to an inquisitive and now proactive disposition. The 2007 SADC summit on
