Jacob Zuma embarrassed before his SADC peers by 'penis art'

The furore over the painting of South African Jacob Zuma with his penis hanging out of his trousers seems to be gradually dying down in South Africa. But there is likely to be lasting harm done to Jacob Zuma's stature, with subtle but likely long-lasting and debilitating implications on his standing in the SADC region, and in particular on his role as facilitator in Zimbabwe's long-running political impasse.

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The significance of Zambian president Michael Sata’s ‘Western stooge’ outburst on Morgan Tsvangirai

Newly elected Zambian president Michael Sata has astonishingly called Zimbabwean prime minister and aspiring president Morgan Tsvangirai a ‘Western stooge.’ Even for a man known to be outspoken and cutting in his comments, it was certainly undiplomatic and arguably ill-advised for Sata to say this about the at least nominal head of government of a neighboring country. But beyond the ill-advisability of Sata’s comments, they show just how deeply entrenched this view of Tsvangirai is, even amongst those who might be expected to be his natural supporters and sympathizers.

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The dangers of characterizing Zambia's election in Zimbabwean political terms

With the election of Michael Sata as president, Zambia continues to entrench its democratic tradition. It is impossible to ignore the contrast with the slow, reluctant moves towards a free system of elections and routine power transfer in Zimbabwe.

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Did rulings in favor of white Zim farmers kill off the SADC Tribunal?

After finding little joy in the Zimbabwean courts, a group of the country's dispossessed white farmers went to the Namibia-based SADC Tribunal, which ruled in their favor. The outraged Mugabe government vowed to ignore the ruling and further argued that the tribunal was never properly ratified by all member states. When the tribunal was killed off in May this year, some thought it was to a large extent because of Zimbabwean pressure over arguments of interfering with the country's legal 'sovereignty.' An interview with the chief justice of the short-lived regional court makes it clear that member states other than Zimbabwe had their own misgivings about the court's role and jurisdiction.

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Zimbabwe, speed up paying back Malawi its $20 million

There was a time not so long ago when Zimbabwe thought of Malawi as one of its poorer cousins. A decade of extreme economic decline and hardship significantly tamed much of of Zimbabwe's sense of superiority towards many of the neighbors. During that time US$20 million in food was borrowed from Malawi and the Malawians loudly want it back.

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Mugabe's side lost the latest SADC battle before it even formally began

Regional body SADC has just held its latest meeting on the never-ending crisis in Zimbabwe. Analysts are going crazy over trying to interpret the detail of the resolution that was issued on how close or far Zimbabwe is to being ready for its next election. Predictably both sides of the Zimbabwe impasse are spinning the statement to paint themselves as having got the upper hand. But as far as the overall, multi-pronged battle to shape opinion on the deadlock in Zimbabwe was concerned, the Mugabe government scored many own-goals.

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