- Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and opposition media are expressing their "shock at SADC's impotence in handling Mugabe's intransigence." They warn that the regional body is sowing seeds for a greater conflict, with heightening tensions between Botswana and President Mugabe's Zimbabwe.
Editor Wilf Mbanga of the UK-based weekly 'The Zimbabwean' - which is widely distributed in Zimbabwe - in a passionate editorial holds that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) "fails us yet again." He writes: "SADC is not serious and does not give a damn about the suffering of millions of Zimbabweans. Shame on them. Only six out of the 15 regional presidents attended Sunday's summit," which was to find a solution to the stranded efforts to implement a power-sharing agreement.
The agreement stranded as President Robert Mugabe unilaterally decided which ministries were to be controlled by his ruling ZANU-PF and which should go to Mr Tsvangirai's MDC party. The repartition would give ZANU-PF total control over both the military forces and police. SADC leaders tried to convince the parties sharing control over the Home Affairs Ministry, but effectively leaving Mr Mugabe in control of police, which was rejected by the MDC leader.
Mr Tsvangirai said the issue of sharing the ministry would not work and expressed shock at SADC's "impotence" in handling the crisis. He said his dispute with Mr Mugabe was not only about the Ministry of Home Affairs, but striking a fair balance of power of all ministries in the unity government and sharing diplomatic appointments and assigning key government posts.
Editor Mbanga said SADC leaders had failed to understand the issue. "The position taken by the new South African president, Kgalema Motlanthe, is particularly disappointing," he writes. "The people of Zimbabwe were prepared to give him a chance. But we should have seen the writing on the wall when we realised that he was the same guy who, back in 2002, headed the South African observer mission that pronounced that year's flagrantly flawed elections 'free and fair'."
According to 'The Zimbabwean', SADC is now sowing seeds of a regional conflict. Botswana, which has emerged one of the MDC's strongest supporters in the SADC negotiations, is increasingly being threatened by the Mugabe regime as the Zimbabwean leader gains the upper hand among SADC counterparts. "The situation is rapidly becoming explosive, with Mugabe accusing Botswana's President Ian Khama of training MDC militias to attack Zimbabwe. He has provided no shred of evidence that Botswana is doing this," the newspaper writes.
The paper adds that President Mugabe has made sure to arm the hunger-struck country to face - or at least scare - a potential external enemy. During the last years, Zimbabwe has bought large amounts of weapons from China. This included anti-tank bombs and other massive firepower "that is not required for crowd control but for full scale war," the opposition newspaper noted.
afrol News - It is called "financial inclusion", and it is a key government policy in Rwanda. The goal is that, by 2020, 90 percent of the population is to have and actively use bank accounts. And in only four years, financial inclusion has doubled in Rwanda.
afrol News - The UN's humanitarian agencies now warn about a devastating famine in Sudan and especially in South Sudan, where the situation is said to be "imploding". Relief officials are appealing to donors to urgently fund life-saving activities in the two countries.
afrol News - Fear is spreading all over West Africa after the health ministry in Guinea confirmed the first Ebola outbreak in this part of Africa. According to official numbers, at least 86 are infected and 59 are dead as a result of this very contagious disease.
afrol News - It is already a crime being homosexual in Ethiopia, but parliament is now making sure the anti-gay laws will be applied in practical life. No pardoning of gays will be allowed in future, but activist fear this only is a signal of further repression being prepared.
afrol News / Africa Renewal - Ethiopia's ambitious plan to build a US$ 4.2 billion dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, 40 km from its border with Sudan, is expected to provide 6,000 megawatts of electricity, enough for its population plus some excess it can sell to neighbouring countries.
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