Cape Town, South Africa - The political impasse in Zimbabwe will come under the spotlight at the 31st Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) in Luanda, Angola on Wednesday.

President Jacob Zuma will lead a South African delegation to the summit.

Zuma summoned Zimbabwe’s three governing parties to another round of talks in Johannesburg over the weekend, but failed to salvage key concessions ahead of the SADC troika.

The failure of negotiators from ZANU-PF and the two MDC formations, which formed a unity government in 2009, to agree on demands for security sector reforms made by President Robert Mugabe’s opponents could hamper SADC’s efforts to resolve the stand-off.

There are unconfirmed media reports in South Africa that Mugabe and his ZANU-PF are planning to oust Zuma from his position as facilitator if he becomes chairman of the SADC troika of the organ on politics, defence and security co-operation on Thursday.

Zuma mobilised regional leaders against Mugabe before the troika summit in Livingstone, Zambia, in March, where he issued a hard-hitting report on the political and security situation in Zimbabwe. 

The formal SADC meetings in Luanda will include the Standing Committee of Senior Officials Meeting (11-13 August); the Council of Ministers Meeting (15-16 August); the Organ Troika Summit (16 August); and the Summit of Heads of State and Government (HoSG) from 17 to 18 of August).

Zuma will be participating in both the Organ Troika Summit (which will see South Africa assume its Chair) and the Summit of HoSG.

Pana 16/08/2011