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This article participates on the following special index pages:
2008 harmonised elections - Index of articles
MDC
state of the nation address
Morgan Tsvangirai,
Zimbabwe Metro
May 29, 2008
http://zimbabwemetro.com/2008/05/30/tsvangirai-deliveres-state-of-the-nation-address/
Before I begin,
I would like ask everyone to stand and join with me to observe a
moment of silence to remember the brave Zimbabweans killed in our
struggle for democracy and the many thousands who have been injured
or lost their lives through poverty, despair or disease.
My Fellow Zimbabweans,
Parliamentarians, Distinguished Guests, Friends
Today is an
historic occasion. Today I stand before you delivering a State of
the Nation address to the new MDC Majority in Parliament!
For the first
time since our liberation in 1980, Zimbabwe will witness a new and
different era of governance. An era of democratic governance for
the people and by the people. An era of governance that transforms
our nation from the past and present disaster to an era of new opportunity.
The 29th of
March seems a long time ago, but on that day, the MDC won control
of the House of Assembly and Senate, and together with our coalition
partners, we became Zimbabwe's new ruling party.
Each of you
played a part in transforming "opposition" MDC to "ruling
party" MDC. This is a huge responsibility for each of us.
We cannot point fingers anymore. Our victory must herald a new and
better future for our children. Our people-centered model of leadership
must herald a new hope for our country.
Ours will be
a long and sometimes dangerous road. At the beginning of our new
road together, I want to salute each of you for your courage in
recent days, and congratulate you as members of the winning team.
Very soon will
be a time for celebration, but now is a time for us to get down
to work.
As we prepare
for the next election, our people stand on a precipice of fear and
expectation. They voted for change and now they face many risks.
Indeed we all stand on a bridge between yesterday's betrayal
and tomorrow's promise. We as leaders have a historic responsibility
to reverse the tide of intolerance, violence, corruption, inequality,
discrimination, hatred, division, and patronage.
The state of
our nation today is well known to all of us. We are an unmitigated
embarrassment to the African continent. The state of our nation
is actually beyond embarrassment, it is tragic — the world's
highest inflation, 80 % unemployment, education that has plummeted
from the best in the Africa to one of the worst and a health care
system that has dire shortages of doctors, nurses, medicine, beds
and blankets. The State of our Nation today is a State of Despair.
Indeed, MDC
as the new ruling party has inherited a government with no accountability
to the people, no desire to encourage the growth of business, no
commitment to workers to ensure their fundamental rights. We have
inherited a government that respects neither man, nor women, nor
child. We have inherited a government with no compass for what is
right or just or economically sound for the country,
It doesn't
have to be this way. We are a great country. We are rich with the
talents of a great people with a tremendous work ethic who just
want jobs, food, peace, and a future for our children. We are rich
in natural resources and rich in resources to attract investors
back to Zimbabwe. We can provide the services to feed our people
- it is up to each of us in this room to say that Zimbabwe
is open for business.
The people of
Zimbabwe have chosen the MDC's elected officials to lay the
foundations of a new Zimbabwe based on tolerance, equality, respect,
solidarity, peace, unity, justice, and humble and obedient leadership.
I want to be
clear about the fundamental values that will be the cornerstone,
not just of our legislation and our parliament but in fact the values
that will guide and steer our government and the course that will
take us forward.
A New Zimbabwe
will respect the dignity and rights of every man, woman and child
and these rights will be enshrined in a people-centered Constitution.
A New Zimbabwe will ensure that every man, woman and child has access
to food, shelter, employment, healthcare and education.
In a New Zimbabwe
every man, woman and child will be able to live together in peace,
tolerance and prosperity. In a New Zimbabwe, our police will defend
our rights, not destroy our hopes; our army will defend our borders,
not attack our people. In a New Zimbabwe, our prisons will detain
only criminals, not freedom-loving citizens.
In a New Zimbabwe
we will have a People's Parliament that is not a rubber stamp
but a true representative of democratic principles and the wishes
and aspirations of the great Zimbabwean people. In a New Zimbabwe
we will have checks and balances. And, very different from our past,
I want the debates in parliament to be covered live on radio and
television so that the people's business is not secret. Our
MPs will be accountable to the voters, not hidden away behind high
walls.
In a New Zimbabwe,
too, the people must play a critical part. They must vigilantly
keep their elected leaders accountable. They must not ask what the
government can do for them, but also what they can each do together
and individually to make Zimbabwe great again.
These core values
will lay the groundwork for the legislative agenda I will outline
today. This agenda is based upon the return of fundamental freedoms
to the people of Zimbabwe. We shall call our Legislative Agenda
the Restore Hope Campaign -
Kudzoredzera
tariro
The
Restore Hope Campaign will launch what I call the Third Republic
- the first Republic in Zimbabwe was colonialist oppression
that ended in 1980. The Second Republic was rule by those who liberated
us from our oppressors but who unfortunately then transformed into
irresponsible, violent and undemocratic tyrants. The Third Republic
is the next generation of African leaders underpinned by the values
of love, tolerance, rule of law and constitutionalism. The Third
Republic is a post-liberation transformation — a consolidation
and entrenchment of democratic values and institutions. The Third
Republic is the New Zimbabwe.
MDC's
Restore Hope Campaign has five components that I shall briefly outline
today. These components are not in the chronological order or in
order of importance. All must be tackled together as a matter of
urgency -
First, we shall
urgently promote national healing.
Second, we shall restore the people's freedoms,
Third, we shall restore the people's dignity,
Fourth, we shall restore the people's basic services, and
Fifth, we shall restore Zimbabwe to the family of nations.
Healing
our nation
The most immediate challenge an MDC government will face is re-knitting
the spiritual fabric of our society. Whether MDC, ZANU PF, or Independent,
whether old or young, employed or unemployed, armed or civilians
- all our people are hurting and deeply traumatized.
The goal of
the New Zimbabwe is to rebuild and heal our country. We do not seek
to substitute new oppressors for the old ones. Rather than focus
on what divides us, we must now try to work together and heal our
nation. This means we must even talk about restoring ZANU PF, the
failed party of the Second Republic. After all, ZANU PF is the party
of Zimbabwe's first liberation.
Healthy democracies
generally have at least two political parties. In Zimbabwe, a reformed
ZANU PF should remain one of them. ZANU PF members of parliament
were elected and re-elected in part because of their proud heritage
and their important voice.
While some ZANU
PF members perpetrate violence against opposition political parties,
not all share this view. Many ZANU-PF members are also victimized
by the violent hawks who have hijacked their party.
In the spirit
of moving our country forward, let us seek out those peaceful members
of ZANU PF whose eyes are open to the disastrous state of our nation.
Let us listen to their views. Let us invite them in where we have
policy agreement.
Our goal is
not retribution but restoration - restoration of the community
of Zimbabweans as one family, irrespective of race, gender, colour,
tribal ancestry or political affiliation. Our goal is a nation that
respects minorities and protects vulnerable groups, especially women,
youth and people with disabilities.
The aim is not
to make us prisoners of the past, but liberate us from that past.
Only truth can move us forward. To that end, we must acknowledge
the grave hardships, death and destruction perpetrated by the regime
over the years.
To that end,
MDC's healing, and national integration process will include
a Truth and Justice Commission that looks not only at human rights
abuses but also at corruption, looting and asset stripping.
To address the
most egregious of the regime's abuses, this parliament must
pass legislation that deals with compensation and reparations for
the victims of Gukurahundi and Murambatsvina. Truth alone is not
enough. Our people must be compensated.
With respect
to Operation Makavotera Papi, I have established a President's
Fund for Victims of Violence to begin the process of healing the
physical hardships imposed on our people.
Restoring
the people's freedoms: Our democratization agenda
Our
legislative agenda to restore the people's freedom will require
that we undertake many reforms, but broadly, we seek to undertake
two initiatives: first, to embark on a process that results in a
democratic constitution that genuinely protects our people; and
second to rebuild and professionalize our national institutions
such as the civil service, judiciary and security forces.
The first urgent
step in restoring our people's freedom's is a new people-
driven constitution.
Nine years ago,
our desire for a new, people-driven constitution signified the start
of our struggle for democracy. The first important task of this
parliament will be to create conditions enabling Zimbabweans to
write a constitution for themselves and by themselves.
The second task
will be to adopt and pass that constitution so that it becomes a
living internal document underpinning our democracy. We anticipate
there will be some debate on the process of writing that constitution.
Some will opt
for an All-Stakeholders conference. Some will suggest a proactive
role by this parliament. Some will suggest the position of creating
a constitutional assembly. Whatever position is chosen by Zimbabweans,
this parliament must guarantee that our constitution will be completed
by the people, for the people, in a period no later than 18 months
as we guaranteed during the campaign. The consultative process must
be thorough and inclusive and our government will ensure that the
time and resources are available for this.
The Constitution
of Zimbabwe must provide for one sovereign state, Zimbabwean
citizenship, and a democratic system of government responsive to
the needs and demands of all its people, committed to achieving
equality between men and women and people of all races in a free
and just society.
The constitution
will prohibit racial, gender and all other forms of discrimination,
and will promote racial and gender equality and a national unity
that is based upon tolerance of diversity.
Everyone who
exercises State power does so in trust for the people of Zimbabwe,
and must exercise such power in accordance with his or her responsibilities
to the people, solely to serve and protect the people's interests,
and within the bounds of lawful authority set out in the constitution
and other laws of the country. The State and all its organs must
be committed to the rule of law, and no person or institution shall
be above the law.
Our
national institutions
We
are aware that the people who work for the Zimbabwean government
today are suffering- be they police, army, CIO, judges, clerks,
teachers, secretaries, cleaners or drivers. We are aware they want
change. We are aware that most of their lives are as miserable as
those who voted for change.
We have been
told that some were not allowed to vote for change. We have heard
that before the election some even had a sentimental hope that ZANU
PF was still the best party to lead this country. We know now though,
that since the election, many of the people who work for the Zimbabwean
government have lost all faith in ZANU PF.
They feel betrayed,
they feel embarrassed, they feel angry that their professional skills
were used to steal the people's will right from under their
very noses, right in front of SADC and the entire international
community. And now, horrifically, some are being ordered to destroy
the lives and spirits of their very own brothers and sisters.
In a profound
spirit of wanting, and needing, to get our country out of this abyss,
we hold out our hands to our brothers and sisters working for the
Zimbabwean government, who receive their paltry paychecks to feed
their children, yet are ordered to carry out acts for which they
feel regretful and humiliated.
They know that
our national institutions have become a political tool to perpetuate
the power of the regime that does not have their interests at heart,
not even the interests of those who work for them. Yet like all
of us, employees at these institutions need a job, and they need
food. And they are, quite frankly, afraid. Afraid of the change
they secretly want, afraid of the change that could, in their minds,
lead to retribution against them for the roles they played in the
course of their government duties.
What we want
to say to our brothers and sisters in the Zimbabwean government,
especially those in the security forces, is that our new government
is very serious about both rebuilding AND healing our country. In
view of the horrors now, it is difficult to say, but we want to
lead a country that forgives, but does NOT forget. If we forget,
we, of course, risk repeating our mistakes.
To the
uniformed forces, let me assure you that we aim to depoliticize
your work with immediate effect.
We also take
this opportunity to reassure you that it is not the intention of
MDC to persecute or victimize any peaceful member of the uniformed
services, whether officers or junior members. This assurance has
been explained in the MDC policy paper statement to the uniformed
forces.
But let me say
to all very clearly — the violence must stop now. There will
be no tolerance or amnesty for those who continue to injure, rape,
and murder our citizens. We consider these criminal acts, not political
acts. Criminal acts will be prosecuted.
Zimbabweans
who attack other Zimbabweans are breaking Zimbabwean and international
law. The whole world is watching. Cease and desist now, and urge
your fellow brothers and sisters to cease and desist. One person
at a time we can stop this madness.
Fellow
Zimbabweans, you are also aware that beyond the recent violence,
for years we have endured legalistic chains that strangle our democratic
freedoms.
One of our first
acts of parliament will be the repeal of repressive legislation
that restricts the freedoms of our people. For example, we all know
the regime has created laws merely to sustain its existence, such
as AIPPA
and POSA,
The Broadcasting
Services Act and some aspects of the criminal code. Removing
these repressive chains will be a first step in launching the MDC's
new era of governance
In addition
to the reform of state institutions, it is imperative that the private
institutions of the New Zimbabwe be liberated from state interference.
This means the immediate political unshackling of the media, the
business sector, trade unions, churches and non-governmental organizations.
If we do not promote, uphold and protect the freedom of these independent
pillars of democracy, our post-liberation New Zimbabwe will be stillborn.
To carry out
our national institution reform agenda, we will first carry out
a democracy audit of the laws in our statutes and liquidate those
that contradict our democratic principles. A process of public consultation,
debate and dialogue around this immediate task must thus begin as
a matter of urgency.
In sum, in rebuilding
our national institutions, our aim is to reward professionalism,
accountability, efficiency and integrity, and to have zero tolerance
for politicization of state institutions and corruption.
Restoring
the people's dignity
While
an appalling betrayal, the greatest tragedy of the regime's
legacy is not the murder of innocent people. The greatest tragedy
is the regime's attempt to destroy the spirit and self-confidence
of our people.
While the regime
vocally pretends it wants to protect the sovereignty of our country,
it systematically attacks our very identities as Zimbabweans, forcing
millions to scatter to other countries.
Today there
are more Zimbabweans in Johannesburg than in Bulawayo. These are
not citizens whose first choice was to leave the home of their birth.
Their flight to other countries is a direct result of the regime's
failures to provide food, jobs, and hope for our people. The brutality
faced by some of the Diaspora in South Africa in recent days is
a shocking reminder of the regime's failure and its destabilizing
impact on the region.
In the New Zimbabwe
we will focus on rebuilding the country and restoring the people's
dignity. This part of our legislative agenda is complex but today
I will briefly mention two key components - economic recovery
and land reform.
Economic
recovery
I
will not waste time telling you about the state of our economy.
You live this shameful reality every day. I imagine it is the most
dysfunctional economy in the world.
In order to
perpetuate their hold on power, our predecessors destroyed the productive
sectors of our economy, impoverishing millions of Zimbabweans. With
not enough money being generated by the formal economy, they increased
money supply, causing hyperinflation.
My fellow Zimbabweans,
the MDC is determined to effectively address the hyperinflation
bequeathed upon us by our predecessors using a combination of demand
and supply-side interventions. Simultaneously, we will work tirelessly
to ensure that macroeconomic stability is accompanied by an immediate
supply-side response both as a way to sustain macroeconomic stability
and also to raise industrial capacity utilization and productivity
levels in industry and create sustainable jobs.
On the demand-side,
we have always said that hyperinflation in this country will only
be tamed if government's unrestrained appetite for resources
is also tamed. The MDC government will be there to serve the people
and its size, which will be small, will be defined by the needs
of the people and not political perquisites and patronage.
To entrench
this culture of fiscal discipline, the MDC will introduce complementary
institutional measures, starting with the reform of the Reserve
Bank of Zimbabwe, which we will make independent of the executive
and accountable parliament. Its mandate will also be streamlined
to focus on the maintenance of price stability, monetary policy,
and bank supervision. This way, we will banish the quasi-fiscal
role of the Central Bank to the dustbins of history.
Another institutional
measure will involve tightening the accountability of public enterprises.
To ensure that they do not perpetually remain a drain on the fiscus,
the MDC will house them in a new Ministry of Public Enterprises,
which will set clear performance targets and criteria for which
all public enterprises will be held accountable.
These institutional
reforms would be incomplete without the overhauling of the civil
service and the streamlining of government ministries. This too
will be a priority in our efforts to reign in the culture of runaway
expenditure and infuse a higher level of efficiency and accountability
in Government.
Fellow Zimbabweans,
in the past, economic reforms have often impacted most negatively
on the poor. We have learned from the hardships resulting from ESAP,
and it is our intention to institute measures to mitigate the impact
of such economic reforms on the poor in tandem with the introduction
of these reforms. While we promise to do our best, we urge our people
to have the pride to choose to be independent by being resourceful
and hardworking, so as to reduce the burden on government.
It is perhaps
the ideal time for me to focus for a while on the supply-side of
the economic management challenge. First of all, industry is the
goose that lays the golden egg and it is the MDC's intention
to ensure that the goose is nurtured and nourished, given the importance
of its role for our economic wellbeing. This will be achieved through
the introduction of an environment that is conducive to business
success and the creation of a symbiotic relationship of partnership
between government and the private sector.
My fellow Zimbabweans,
we have lofty ambitions for our economy. As we stated in our manifesto,
the Zimbabwean economy is an enclave economy that is a fraction
of its potential size. Income per capita is unacceptably low and,
due to ZANU-PF's cronyism and corruption, income distribution,
which was also quite uneven, is now at unconscionable levels. ZANU-PF
affinity for command economics made control the preferred tool for
government intervention in the economy over the last three decades.
Our objective
is to create an alternative people-centered economy. The opportunity
space needs to be opened up to tap into the imaginative creativity
of local and foreign entrepreneurs to restore, restructure and rejuvenate
our Zimbabwean industry.
Within a globalized
world, the MDC appreciates that Zimbabwe is competing for talent
and resources with the rest of the world. The MDC government is
committed to the creation of an environment that is conducive to
business by implementing supply-side measures that will make Zimbabwe
one of the best countries in which to do business on the African
continent.
While some reforms
will take time, parliament must move quickly to pass legislation
that establishes the Zimbabwe Economic Development Council. This
consultative body must underpin stakeholder ownership and participation
as we described in RESTART.
To avoid belaboring
this matter too much, let me summarize our four priorities as follows:
first, we must halt and reverse the country's shrinking economic
output and address hyperinflation; second, we must revive and rehabilitate
our industrial base to create jobs and expand our tax base; third,
we must restore national credibility to again attract significant
inflows of foreign direct investment; fourth and finally, we must
address our humanitarian crisis, particularly the shortage of food
and medicines.
In conclusion, let me stress that our objective must not be to merely
restore the Zimbabwean economy to its former glory but also to take
it to new heights. In the words of Haggai Chapter 2 verse 9, it
is our passionate prayer and heartfelt desire that "The glory
of this latter house . . . be greater than of the former . . . "
Land
and Agricultural Reform
Let me be clear
we must solve the Land Issue once and for all.
Since its inception,
the MDC has had an unwavering commitment to a land reform program
that is not only non-partisan, equitable, just and lawful, but also
does not dislocate agricultural production and productivity. Zimbabwe
is still to have such a land reform program. All we have had to
date is a disorderly and greedy land-grab, which has not even begun
to address the needs of landless people, both in terms of access
to land and access to inputs.
We have applied
our minds to what needs to be done. It is now time for implementation.
Our actions will be guided by the following principles:
- The pre-2000
land distribution program was colonial, unjust and untenable and
will never again represent the distribution of land in Zimbabwe.
- Land is not
only a productive asset that should be distributed on the basis
of need and ability to farm, but it is also a finite asset to
be allocated and used wisely for the benefit of all Zimbabweans
for generations to come.
- Land ownership
is also a constitutional matter. A Land Commission that undertakes
the detailed audit of the present as well as pre-2000 land ownership
structure should be created to make recommendations on how to
resolve the land question in an economically sensible way without
negating equity and justice.
- Land ownership
is also a social matter. The Land Commission that we propose to
be established by legislation during the term of this parliament,
should carry out its duties in a consultative manner with the
full participation of the broad breadth of our people, inclusive
of women.
- Measures
must be put in place to either compensate or reincorporate into
productive agriculture, those who lost their land during the ZANU-PF
land grab program, depending on the findings of the Land Commission.
- Access to
land is not enough for agricultural productivity. It should be
complemented by the provision of the necessary infrastructure,
access to agricultural finance, inputs as well as extension services.
Guided by the
above principles, the Land Commission, an independent and professional
policy organ, will recommend to you, the people's representatives,
how this question should be finally resolved. Once the Land Commission
has completed its work, we expect the land question to be completely
de-politicized by the commission's professional input, making
it possible to rely on the market mechanism to determine the ownership
of land in the long-term.
As you are aware,
there is more to our land policies than what I have outlined above.
We intend to banish the colonial system of separate land tenure
systems for commercial and communal agriculture. However, we realize
the need for creativity and flexibility as we move from the current
system to the universally applicable one for all farmers.
We wish to give
recognition to the legal right to land through issuance of title
deeds, tradeable certificates of title, and leases. Landowners must
hold title to their land, regardless of their social class or scale
as well as scope of agricultural activity. To ensure the productive
use of land and to discourage speculative land holding, we will
institute a progressive land tax. The revenue generated from that
tax will be applied to the provision of infrastructure and other
social services in that community.
Our countrymen
and women cannot wait forever for the resolution of the land question.
I will say this often as the people's President - work
rests squarely on the shoulders of the people's parliament,
which should urgently use legislative tools to address this issue
once and for all.
Empowerment
Eighty
years of colonialism resulted in a complete marginalization of a
majority of our people who were virtually third class citizens in
their own land. Whilst independence did a commendable job in de-racializing
our culture and establishing the key tenet of one-person one-vote,
it did not deal with the issues of inequality. In my view, the best
guarantor of the democracy we seek to craft in the new Zimbabwe
is the economic emancipation and participation of our people.
Over the years,
our people have been abused by the ZANU-PF policy of indigenization
which, although noble sounding on paper, was no more than patronage,
clientelism, asset stripping and looting.
MDC now has
an opportunity to craft a genuine programme for the empowerment
of our people. This programme of affirmative action will be transparent,
equitable, and within the rule of law.
To this end,
this parliament will enact laws that will ensure that all new investments
have significant black ownership. In addition, laws will also be
passed that will seek to redress the unequal and inequitable status
quo in past investments and shareholdings.
I trust that
everyone will understand that if there is not equitable empowerment,
and if there is no participation in the economy by the majority,
then we are laying a booby-trap for ourselves, and profoundly undermining
our aspirations to establish a truly democratic and sustainable
post-liberation new Zimbabwe.
Restoring
basic services
My
fellow Zimbabweans, monumental work will be required to restore
basic infrastructure services to the people, as well as make Zimbabwe
a world-class tourist destination once again.
In the past
decade, life expectancy in Zimbabwe has fallen below 37 years of
age and child mortality rates are amongst the highest in the world.
A quarter of our population lives with HIV/Aids. Hundreds of thousands
of our citizens have to be fed by the international donor community.
An energy and water crisis grips the country with little formal
availability of fuel, electricity and clean water. The collapsed
sewer reticulation system in urban areas puts all at risk of disease.
I will not take
the time here to go into great detail but let me mention some of
our key priorities in the immediate future.
First, we need
to offer free anti-retrovirals to our people.
Second, we need
to ensure the quality and affordability of all our educational establishments.
This starts with ensuring that teachers are paid responsibly for
the essential work they do. Our children's education is the
foundation for our future growth and prosperity. They are our most
valuable asset and we must treat them as such.
Third, we must
rehabilitate our hospitals. Dispensary hospitals must be places
of healing again, not places of dying. This means there must be
beds in Gweru hospitals and blankets in Bulawayo hospitals. It means
hospitals must again be able to provide food to their own patients.
It means our health care system must again offer incentives to attract
quality professionals back into our country to help our people become
well again.
Fourth, and
of urgent importance, nobody in our country should ever go hungry
again. Innnovative and completely depoliticized food delivery mechanisms
are urgently required whilst we get our agricultural production
up and running again.
Our transformative
work will also include the restructuring of energy to increase private
sector participation as well as the introduction of regulators to
avoid monopoly pricing and ensure environmental compliance.
We have similarly
comprehensive policy and legislative programs for the transportation
and communication sectors. Reform within the transportation sector
in particular is long overdue. Our commitment in this regard is
unwavering.
As we transform
the New Zimbabwe, we will institute policies guided by the need
to strike a judicious balance between opening them up for private
sector investment while ensuring that they are adequately regulated
to protect the interests of the poor and to avoid monopoly pricing,
politicization and uncompetitive practices.
We have no illusions
about the enormity of these tasks. Tasks only to be implemented
by the government?
No. These
changes need to be implemented by the people, for the people. We
and the people of Zimbabwe need to undertake these enormous challenges
as partners, together working toward rebuilding our society. This
cooperative partnership between the government and the people will
mark a fundamentally different approach in the New Zimbabwe.
Restoring
Zimbabwe to the family of nations
Since
2000 Zimbabwe has transformed from the jewel of Africa to a tragedy.
As flawed as it was, our constitution has been pillaged. Our rule
of law has crumbled. Our national institutions have been politicized.
Our basic services have been decimated. Our productivity has plummeted.
Our fertile land cries for skills, implements, and investment.
Several years
ago, when Zimbabwe was ousted from the Commonwealth. Mr. Mugabe
said he didn't care. When SADC held an emergency summit on
12 April, Mr. Mugabe chose not to attend.
Mr. Mugabe has
now even turned his back on Africa.
We, as MDC,
are ready to return Zimbabwe to the family of democratic nations.
We are ready to rejoin our brothers and sisters in SADC and the
AU who also value the freedom, prosperity and dignity of their peoples.
In the past
six weeks, as the winner of the Presidential election and as head
of the majority party in parliament, I have met with leaders from
throughout the African continent. They, along with United Nations
Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, and other world leaders have expressed
concern and outrage that the will of the people of Zimbabwe has
once again been betrayed. They are all too well aware, some even
very embarrassed, that the regime has broken promises and agreements
to hold free and fair elections.
We look forward
very soon to rejoining the family of nations committed to democratic
governance and economic prosperity. Returning prosperity to our
nation will be much easier and much faster when we rejoin the global
community of nations.
In closing,
Honourable Members of the House of Assembly and Senate, let me say
again how very honoured I am to launch the Restore Hope Campaign
with you today - a new era of governance for a new Zimbabwe.
Once again let me congratulate you for your victories and salute
you for your courage.
Honorable members,
let us go forward now and finish what we have begun.
Let us go forward
together to serve the people, to commit ourselves to rebuilding
our country, to dedicate ourselves to creating a New Zimbabwe that
offers all its citizens freedom, hope and prosperity.
Chinja Matiro,
Matiro Chinja.
Guqula Isenzo,
Isenzo Guqula.
I thank you
and may God bless Zimbabwe.
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