South African regional bloc meets to discuss Zimbabwe

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) - Members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are holding an emergency meeting in Botswana on the unfolding political and security situation in Zimbabwe.

The SADC is a regional block of 15 countries. It often intervenes in mediating political impasse among member states.

In a statement, the SADC secretariat said the meeting Thursday was being attended by ministers responsible for foreign affairs from the body’s troika member states of Angola, Tanzania, Zambia and South Africa.

The meeting came a day after the Zimbabwean military seized power from President Robert Mugabe and detained him and his family.

The Zimbabwean army reportedly also detained several Cabinet ministers.

Later Wednesday, the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) made a series of announcements on Twitter confirming that Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was sacked as vice president last week, is now interim party leader and de facto president.