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Prosper Ndlovu recently in LUSAKA, Zambia
HEADS of State and Government who attended the just-ended 20th Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) Summit in Lusaka, Zambia, have commended Zimbabwe for demonstrating political maturity in the peaceful manner it handled the political transition following the resignation of former President Robert Mugabe at the height of “Operation Restore Legacy” last November.

In a final communique issued on Friday following the close of the high-level regional leadership indaba, Heads of State and Government stressed the importance of democracy and good governance in the maintenance of peace, security and continued stability.

Noting the Zimbabwean scenario in particular and that of Ethiopia, the Summit called for strengthening of democratic processes, structures and institutions in order to consolidate democracy and good governance of the region.

“The summit commended the political actors as well as the people of Ethiopia and Zimbabwe for their political maturity and the peaceful manner through which the transition in leadership was done,” reads part of the communique.

The gathering further “congratulated His Excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa upon his assumption of the leadership of Zanu-PF and President of the Republic of Zimbabwe.”

The regional leaders also bade farewell to former President Mugabe and his Ethiopian counterpart, former Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn following their resignations and appreciated the two leaders’ contributions in their countries and in the region.

Zimbabwean head of delegation to the summit, Cde Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, who is also Presidential Affairs Minister in charge of Policy Implementation and Monitoring, in his address paid tribute to regional leaders for the support rendered to the country under the new political dispensation. He also pledged that the coming elections this month would be free, fair and transparent.

In the communique, the summit noted the appreciation by Zimbabwean authorities with respect to the pre-elections assessment mission undertaken in Zimbabwe by the Comesa Committee of Elders ahead of the July 31 polls. Comesa, thus, confirmed its deployment of an observer mission to Harare and noted that “the harmonised elections will be held in accordance with the Constitution of Zimbabwe and in compliance with the Comesa, Sadc and African Union principles and guidelines governing democratic elections”.

On a broader regional scale, the summit commended the Democratic Republic of Congo on the progress made on the electoral process and invited all stakeholders to be involved in the process to achieve a successful ending of the process. It also congratulated Presidents Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya on their re-election as presidents in respective countries.

The regional leaders said maturity was exhibited by the democratic institutions in Kenya including the Supreme Court and the Judiciary generally and Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission as well as the respect for the rule of law by the country’s political leadership.

They also congratulated President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi for his re-election as President of the Arab Republic of Egypt as well as appointment of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed as leader of the ERPDF and Prime Minister of the Republic of Ethiopia.

The summit welcomed the declaration ending the war between Eritrea and Ethiopia and congratulated the leadership of the two countries for normalisation of relations between the two countries.

In that regard Comesa member states have been urged to accompany the process towards the full implementation of the agreements between the two countries.

The summit implored other countries that are in conflict to draw lessons from the example of the two countries in the peaceful resolution of disputes.