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Speech at swearing ceremony
Arthur Mutambara
February 11, 2009

Fellow citizens, we are here to celebrate the coming together of Zimbabweans in pursuit of their collective national interest. This is a new era of peace and unity in our country. We are here to celebrate the dignity of difference. Three different generations of Zimbabweans have come together to salvage their country. Three different political parties have joined hands in an inclusive government to serve their people. Different social classes and different ethnic groups have come together as members of one family, the Zimbabwean family. This is the dignity of difference, the divinity of diversity. Embracing diversity and differences is a reservoir of strength. It is a source of creativity, innovation, and stability. Leveraging inclusiveness, and the creative tension thereof, will lead to the effective and sustainable resolution of our national socio-political-economic challenges

The tasks of the inclusive government we seek to establish are immense, but not insurmountable. The first area is the resolution of the humanitarian crisis, in particular the cholera epidemic, food supply, education, and healthcare. The second area is stabilization and recovery of our economy. Our country and people have gone traumatic and polarizing experiences. We need a national healing process, as the third area of concern. The next matter revolves around the crafting and adoption of a new people driven democratic constitution. This must be a national consensus document supported by all political parties, with total buy in and ownership by the entirety of civic society, and the generality of the people of Zimbabwe. The last area of concentration is going to be the economic transformation of Zimbabwe into a globally competitive economy. As Zimbabweans we seek to collectively develop a thirty year economic vision, shared and adopted by all political parties, the business community, and all relevant stakeholders. This vision will be buttressed by a national economic strategy rooted in industry sector plans. The growth pillars will be 15-20 major impact industrial projects. We might not do much in terms of execution and results on this fifth item. What we seek to do in this transitional authority is to lay the foundation by completing the inclusive envisioning process, strategy development, identification and valuation of the projects, and implementation planning.

In order for us to be able to execute the mandate of this government, an enabling environment characterized by certain behaviours must be in place. We must work as one team, Team Zimbabwe. We must have unity of purpose and action. We must work together and be seen to be working together. We must speak the language of unity, the language of working together. We seek to establish one government, with one cabinet, to serve one nation. Hence we must be prepared to take joint responsibility for both failures and successes. We must re-establish trust and respect among ourselves, as leaders and as Zimbabweans. As a nation we must regain confidence from those external to us. This can be achieved by clearly working in harmony, and establishing both a credible cabinet and a credible plan of action. To our developmental, cooperating, and strategic partners in the region, Africa, and the international community, we say we are grateful for the role you have played in our struggle to establish a peaceful, prosperous and democratic nation. Your role before 1980 and in the last 10 years is greatly appreciated. Now that Zimbabweans have spoken with unprecedented unanimity and have come together to fix their country, we call upon you to give this inclusive government a fighting chance. This is a new era of peace and unity in Zimbabwe. For those who have imposed whatever measures against Zimbabwe, be they targeted sanctions, call them what you may; those measures must be removed immediately. As leaders of this inclusive government we will be remiss in our charge if we do not take this principled position. We will not be serious about the people's business. Our country needs all the support it can muster from the global community of nations, balance of payment support, credit lines, and more importantly investment. As a new government we seek to normalize and harmonize our relations with all nations of the world. On our part as leaders of Zimbabwe we commit to working together in a coherent, clean, democratic and competent government.

In conclusion, with your permission President Mugabe, may I take this opportunity to ban all party political slogans during the period of this inclusive government. Let us give up party politics until the next elections. Going forward, there will be only two slogans permissible. Delivery, delivery, delivery. Results, results, results.

The struggle to attain a peaceful and prosperous nation continues .

I thank you, tatenda, siyabonga.

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