A South African government handout photo shows Southern African Development Community (SADC) chairman, South African President Jacob Zuma (L), hugging Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on June 20, 2009 in Johannesburg.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos
ZIMBABWE MAKING 'SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS': ZUMA
Zimbabwe has made signficant progress towards ending its
political crisis as its once feuding leaders learn to bury their
differences, South African President Jacob Zuma said on Monday.
Speaking in Kinshasa at a summit of a regional club of nations
known as SADC, Zuma also said southern Africa had to remain on hand
to help Zimbabwe push on after the establishment of a unity
government in Harare.
"Significant progress has been made under the auspices of the
Inclusive Government," said Zuma who is standing down as head of
the Southern African Development Community (SADC) after South
Africa's 12-month stint in the chair.
"We are all encouraged by how the three parties put their
differences aside."
Zimbabwe was plunged into political crisis last March after
veteran leader Robert Mugabe was beaten into second place in a
presidental election by his long-time rival Morgan Tsvangirai.
Tsvangirai subsequently pulled out of a run-off election after
scores of his supporters were killed but he eventually agreed to
join a unity government in February this year as prime minister,
along with another opposition faction.
"These achievements signalled to the people of Zimbabwe, the
region and the world, that the Zimbabwean political leadership was
ready to collectively tackle the political and the socio-economic
challenges facing that country," added Zuma.
Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila, who
succeeds Zuma in the SADC chair, told his fellow leaders that he
wanted "to encourage the continuation of efforts" to resolve
differences between Mugabe's ZANU-PF party and Tsvangirai's
Movement for Democratic Change.
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