WRAP Zimbabwe tops agenda of southern African summit; ADDS MDC meeting

(17 Aug 2007)
1. Wide exterior of Mulungushi Conference Centre
2. Close up of sign for summit reading: (English) ''27th Ordinary SADC summit of heads of state and government.''
3. Thabo Mbeki, President of South Africa, arriving
4. Robert Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe, arriving
5. Wide of conference
6. South African Development Community leaders on stage
7. Close up of Mugabe on the stage
8. Mbeki on stage
9. Mid of leaders
10. Audience listening to speech
11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Levy Manawasa, President of Zambia:
"My strong advice to the brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe therefore is: maintain peace and stability at all costs because the opposite will just push your beautiful country even further backwards. In the meantime, SADC (South African Development Community) is there for you."
12. Audience clapping
13. MDC members sitting at the table discussing the summit
14. SOUNDBITE: (English) Thokozana Khupe, Vice Pesident of Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change party:
"The truth of the matter is that those people at the summits do not come from Zimbabwe. And they do not know what is happening in Zimbabwe, they don't understand what the people of Zimbabwe are going through. There is a serious crisis in Zimbabwe, the people of Zimbabwe are suffering. There is abject poverty, Zimbabwe has descended into abject decay, so, I don't know understand why people would applaud you know, Mugabe."
15. MDC leaders walking around the complex
STORYLINE:
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe received the loudest cheers on Thursday at the start of a southern African summit expected to focus on his country's economic and political turmoil.
Many blame Mugabe's policies for the severe inflation and acute shortages that have crippled his country, once a regional breadbasket.
But the dignitaries' reaction as Mugabe was introduced appeared to reflect the opinion that the long time ruler has been unfairly targeted - or at least a hesitation to criticise an anti-colonialist leader.
Thokozana Khupe, Vice Pesident of Zimbabwe's opposition group Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), blamed this on ignorance.
"The truth of the matter is that most people at the summit do not come from Zimbabwe.They have no idea what is going on in Zimbabwe. There is a serious crisis, abject poverty and decay, so, I don't know why they would applaud Mugabe" Khupe said.
South African President Thabo Mbeki is leading a regional effort to mediate a truce between Mugabe and his political opposition and was expected to report on Thursday on his efforts.
As the summit opened, Zambian President Mwanawasa praised elder statesmen who helped liberate countries in the region from colonial rule.
Mwanawasa urged Zimbabweans to "maintain peace and stability at all costs, because the opposite will just push your beautiful country even further backwards."
Among southern African leaders who oversaw the liberation of their countries, Mugabe, who has led Zimbabwe for 27 years, is the only one still in power.
MDC officials, who are in Lusaka this week lobbying regional leaders, said Mbeki's mediation efforts were taking too long.
Mugabe's neighbours have long been reluctant to openly criticise one of their own, as Zimbabwe confronts its worst economic crisis since independence from Britain in 1980.
Official inflation is given as 4,500 percent, the highest in the world, but independent estimates put it closer to 9,000 percent.
A government order slashing prices of all goods and services by about half in June has led to acute shortages of basic commodities.

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