The atmosphere in Johannesburg has been described as a "circus" by activists who have travelled to South Africa, ahead of the June 11th SADC Summit that will discuss Zimbabwe.

With all of the political parties and civic groups sending representatives and supporters to push their agendas, there have been reports that the Mugabe regime plans to disrupt affairs, cause violence and then accuse the MDC-T and activists of being the perpetrators.

Zimbabwe is going to be discussed on the sidelines of the weekend's Free Trade Area summit. And already negative publicity has been linked to ZANU PF supporters, who are reportedly disrupting press conferences and workshops at hotel venues.

On Thursday the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition launched a report titled "The Military Factor in Zimbabwe's Political and Electoral Affairs", which details the increasing role of the security sector in the country's political and electoral affairs. During presentation of the report about ten ZANU PF thugs burst into the venue at the Sandton Devonshire Hotel and ordered people out.

Regional coordinator for Crisis, Dewa Mavhinga, said; "They were rowdy and behaved in a barbaric manner. Fortunately police and hotel security escorted them out. There is rule of law in South Africa and not in Zim."

Regarding the launch of their report, Mavhinga explained that the police and military involvement in the country's affairs "is the fundamental problem that needs to be addressed" by SADC leaders meeting over the weekend. "If you want a workable roadmap and credible elections in line with SADC guidelines then you must rein in the military and keep them at the barracks, where they belong," Mavhinga said.

He added that former military officials must also be removed from Zimbabwe's other institutions, including the electoral and media commissions. "SADC needs to spell out clearly what measures it will take if its resolutions are not respected," said the activist.

Tiseke Kasambala, Zimbabwe researcher for Human Rights Watch, agreed. She said SADC needs to set time lines for implementation of the GPA and electoral roadmap, and then have clear punitive measures that will be taken. "The problem for SADC is what should those consequences be? Because so far there has been no substantial action or warning taken by the leaders towards the parties in Zimbabwe," Kasambala explained.

There has also been no compliance by the inclusive government leaders and ZANU PF with the resolutions made at the Troika summit in Livingstone, back in March. SADC strongly criticized the Zim authorities for failing to implement the GPA and called on them to create an environment conducive to holding credible elections.Kasambala put the blame squarely on Robert Mugabe's party: "ZANU PF and state security forces allied to ZANU PF have mainly been responsible for the violence and the failure to implement the GPA". She explained that this summit is going to be crucial because the inclusive government has failed and "SADC needs to step in".

Observers have said this will be the ultimate test of SADC's credibility, especially in the wake of the recent crackdown on individual freedoms, and the ongoing arrests and torture of mostly MDC supporters and officials. Regional leaders have yet to criticize Robert Mugabe publicly and recently showed their support for him by suspending the SADC human rights tribunal, after Mugabe complained because it ruled against his violent land grab.

You can access the full Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition report titled "The Military Factor in Zimbabwe's Political and Electoral Affairs", on our website.

By SW radio