Pretoria - The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is yet to set a new date for the special summit on Zimbabwe's upcoming elections, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said on Friday.
The meeting was scheduled for June 9 in Maputo, Mozambique, but was postponed.
Nkoana-Mashabane said the date for such a summit always depended on the availability and programmes of the heads of state.
“The meeting is still going ahead, it will be moved to a new date. But they are still trying to find a date that will be suitable for the majority of the leaders to be present,” Nkoana-Mashabane told a media briefing.
The planned summit is supposed to discuss Zimbabwe's elections and possible funding.
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe last week said that he would comply with a Constitutional Court ruling that elections should be held by July 31.
The government says it needs at least US $100 million to go to the polls, money that will mostly be aided by the regional block.
Mugabe, 89, and already Africa's oldest ruler, seeks re-election and his main challenger is Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai. The two long-time rivals were forced into a SADC-brokered coalition government after the disputed 2008 polls.
Both leaders want the elections to replace the current shaky coalition, but Tsvangirai has repeatedly called for necessary reforms, particularly in security sector and media, to be carried out to ensure a free and fair vote.
Mugabe, confident of a poll victory according to local political analysts, said he would like the elections to be held as soon as possible. – SAnews.gov.za-Xinhua
