Robert Mugabe tells off South Africa over SADC trade deal stalemate
Zimbabwe's president Robert Mugabe leaving at the end of the general assembly of the G77+China Summit in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, on June 15, 2014. AFP PHOTO | JULIO ARACIL
What you need to know:
- Mr Mugabe told South Africa to give other countries a chance to sell their products.
- The veteran ruler is SADC’s new chairperson after taking over from Malawi’s Peter Mutharika at the summit that ended on Monday.
HARARE
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has hit out at South Africa for refusing to sign a regional trade agreement.
President Mugabe accused the Jacob Zuma administration of being selfish after South Africa and Namibia refused to sign the Southern African Development Community (SADC) trade protocol at a summit held in Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls.
Mr Mugabe told South Africa to give other countries in the region a chance to sell their products.
“We appealed to South Africa, which is highly industrialised, to lead us in this (industrialisation) and work with us, and cooperate with us and not just regard the whole continent as an open market for products from South Africa," he said.
'RECIPROCAL RELATIONSHIP'
"We want a reciprocal relationship where we sell to each other and not just receiving products from one source,” he added.
President Mugabe is SADC’s new chairperson after taking over from Malawi’s Peter Mutharika at the summit that ended on Monday.
He has indicated that during his term, he would push for deeper regional integration and economic independence for the region, an agenda that could be stymied by South Africa and Namibia’s refusal to endorse the Protocol on Trade-in Services.
The protocol sets out general obligations for SADC countries with regard to the treatment of services and suppliers from other countries.
It provides for negotiations for removing barriers to free movement of services in the region. Other SADC countries signed the protocol in August 2012.
COURTING CHINA
President Mugabe made the remarks when he addressed journalists after the summit’s closing ceremony.
President Mugabe said he would need cooperation from fellow regional leaders.
“During my tenure as your chairman, I pledge to represent the interests of our various (countries) so that the SADC voice, programmes and projects are ever present,” he said in his closing remarks.
He said the region would court China to finance infrastructure programmes.
The 90-year-old leader would be deputised by Botswana’s President Ian Khama.
