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Statement
by the Prime Minister on the progress of the transitional government
Morgan Tsvangirai
February 25, 2009
Members of the
Diplomatic Corps and the Press, Ladies and Gentlemen, Fellow Zimbabweans;
Today, I want
to take this opportunity to highlight developments within the Transitional
Government a mere two weeks after my inauguration as Prime Minister
of Zimbabwe.
Firstly, I would
like to commend the Ministers for the work they have been doing
in the very short time that they have been in office.
They have managed
to begin to address some of the many issues facing the country and
I am encouraged by the open and constructive debates within Cabinet
and the Council of Ministers.
In particular,
I would like to recognise the efforts of the Ministries of Health,
Education and Finance. The latter has mobilised funds that have
enabled this government to pay the first round of allowances to
the civil service, particularly the army, police and teachers.
Not only did
this allow these valuable members of our community to put food on
their tables and travel to work, but has also served as a vital
stimulus to our ailing economy. Those who have not yet received
their allowance will do so in the near future.
In addition
I have kept the SADC Chairman, President Motlanthe, appraised of
developments and today our ministers are meeting with SADC ministers
concerning the Zimbabwe recovery programme.
However, it
is also my responsibility to bring to your attention a number of
outstanding issues that continue to act as an impediment to our
progress as a Government and our ability to truly resolve the issues
facing our country.
These are:
- The Appointment
of Senior Government Officials, such as Permanent Secretaries
and Ambassadors
- The Appointment
of the Governor of the Reserve Bank and the Attorney General
- The Appointment
of Provincial Governors
Yesterday's
announcement of the appointment of Permanent Secretaries is in contravention
of both the Global
Political Agreement and the Constitution
of Zimbabwe which is very clear with regard to Senior Government
Appointments. It states in article 20.1.7 of the Eighth Schedule
that:
"The Parties
agree that with respect to occupants of senior Government Positions,
such as Permanent Secretaries and Ambassadors, the leadership in
Government, comprising the President, the Vice-Presidents, the Prime
Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers, will consult and agree on such
prior to their appointment."
No civil servant
has the authority to make such appointments or announcements, therefore
the announcement of the Permanent Secretaries has no force of law
and is therefore null and void. The Permanent Secretaries who were
in position as of September 15th will remain in post in an acting
capacity until the matter is resolved.
This government
will not allow a parallel force within its structures or any unconstitutional
or unilateral actions which serve to impede progress.
It is also important
that the appointments of the Governor of the Reserve Bank, Gideon
Gono and the Attorney General, Johannes Tomana are dealt with and
resolved immediately.
This is in line
with the SADC communiqué
issued in Pretoria on the 27th of January 2009, which states that
"the appointments of the Reserve Bank Governor and the Attorney
General will be dealt with by the Inclusive Government after its
formation;"
Similarly the
appointment of Provincial Governors is an issue that must be resolved
forthwith.
As long as these
matters remain unresolved, it will be impossible for the transitional
government to move forward with the reforms that this country so
desperately needs.
Most significantly,
the rule of law continues to be flouted by some sectors of the community
and this must stop immediately. In particular, a new wave of disruptions
of farming operations, in contravention of the Memorandum of Understanding,
is undermining our ability to revive our agricultural sector and
restore investor confidence.
I have tasked
the Ministers of Home Affairs, Giles Mutsekwa and Kembo Mohadi,
to bring the full weight of the law down on the perpetrators who
continue to act within a culture of impunity and entitlement. No
person in Zimbabwe is above the law.
With respect
to detainees, the Principals to the Global Political Agreement,
namely myself, President Mugabe and Deputy Prime Minister Mutambara,
last week agreed that all political detainees who have been formally
charged with a crime should be released on bail and those that have
not been charged should be released unconditionally. This has not
yet happened.
Indeed, rather
than allowing the judicial process to take its course with regard
to the granting of bail, the Attorney General's office is
wilfully obstructing the release of all detainees by abusing the
appeal process and this must stop forthwith.
There have also
been disputes over the mandates of various ministries. While this
is natural in a new transitional arrangement such as this, issues
of overlap and duplication will be resolved by my office.
With respect
to the Ministry of Media, Information and Publicity and the Ministry
of Information, Communication Technology, the functions of the former
Department of Communication within the Ministry of Transport and
Communications shall be the responsibility of the new Ministry of
Information, Communication Technology.
Therefore, for
avoidance of doubt, Telecommunications falls under this ministry.
Ladies and Gentlemen, there is only one government running Zimbabwe
- one government, with one vision and one agenda - democratisation
and stabilisation. There is no room for residual parallel structures
that attempt to manipulate the process and procedures of government
for personal or political gain.
I urge all members
of the civil service to undertake their duties in a professional
and patriotic manner and in the spirit of the Global Political Agreement
and to the letter of the Constitution.
As a nation
we still have a long way to travel until we are truly free, democratic
and prosperous. I am confident that by working together we will
achieve this goal.
The vast majority
of members of the civil service and Cabinet are eager to work together
and I am encouraged by the momentum that this government is developing
towards finding solutions to the problems facing the country. I
thank you.
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