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Statement on the humanitarian and security situation in Zimbabwe
Morgan
Tsvangirai, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
December
19, 2008
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Firstly, I would like
to thank the Government of Botswana for allowing me to stay in their
country during this difficult time. As I will highlight later, this
does not come without a cost to their country and therefore their
hospitality is especially appreciated.
Secondly, as all of you
here know, the situation in Zimbabwe, particularly from the humanitarian
perspective, is now worse than at anytime in our country's history.
The fact that this situation is being publicized around the world
is of the utmost importance to Zimbabweans and is largely a result
of the stories printed and broadcast by yourselves, your colleagues
and your organizations, and I would like to thank you for your courage
and dedication.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
in increasingly desperate attempts to hang on to power, the Mugabe
regime has imposed the worst kind of sanctions upon the people of
Zimbabwe. They have deprived our citizens of their most fundamental
rights and, through their political and economic mismanagement,
they have turned Zimbabwe into a country where poverty and disease
thrive and people die.
Cholera is now rife throughout
the country, starvation stalks almost every Zimbabwean family and
education and healthcare now exist only for the elite.
The cholera epidemic,
which should be an easily treatable disease is infecting people
and taking lives in ever greater numbers. The aid agencies are doing
their best to cope with this tidal wave of humanitarian suffering
but, as the rains continue in Zimbabwe, they are in danger of being
overwhelmed. Only if we simultaneously begin to address the causes
and the effects of this disaster will it be possible for us to reduce
the pandemic to manageable proportions.
Unfortunately, Zanu PF's
insistence on removing the responsibility for water delivery from
the local authorities is perpetuating this crisis. Harare is the
epicenter of the cholera epidemic and, if the city council was to
have control of the water reticulation system and its refurbishment
returned to it, then the MDC already has pledges to cover the US$30
million required to undertake this project that will end the threat
from cholera in the capital city.
Zanu PF has
shown itself not to be able to manage donor funding responsibly
or impartially which means that this finance is only available to
the authority that has a direct mandate from the people and that
is the MDC-controlled, Harare City Council. If Zanu PF truly cared
about the welfare of the people, they would immediately undertake
this action and allow the city council to assume its role of providing
adequate services to the residents. This is a model that could easily
be duplicated throughout the country.
The MDC has already proved
that this model can work. At the beginning of this agricultural
season, we undertook a countrywide seed distribution programme to
mitigate the effects of the regime's failed agricultural policy.
The success of this distribution is already, quite literally, bearing
fruit and as a result the MDC will be able to undertake a mid-season
seed distribution that will be double the size of the previous distribution
and benefit 100 thousand families. This is what can be achieved
when a responsible political party puts the welfare of the people
first and is thus able to capitalize on the goodwill that exists
in the international community.
For this reason,
and as a result of the delays in implementing the Global Political
agreement
which was signed on September 15th, 2008, the MDC will now work
with all United Nations Agencies and NGOs operating within Zimbabwe
to add value to, and increase, their current programmes.
This is of particular
importance when it comes to food distribution. While significant,
our seed distribution will not avert nationwide food shortages in
the coming months. The MDC is able to mobilize enough food relief
to help Zimbabweans through this crisis, but only if such aid is
going to be distributed to the most needy in a free, non-partisan
manner. To this end, we will also be working with partners in Zimbabwe
on the distribution mechanisms for this aid to ensure that the international
community has the assurances it needs to donate the food that our
people need.
Ladies and Gentlemen, when we signed the Global Political Agreement
(GPA) we believed that we would be undertaking these measures from
within an inclusive government. But a partnership can only be formed
when there are two willing partners and the Mugabe regime has shown
itself to be unwilling to put the welfare of Zimbabwe and its people
first.
The MDC can only enter
into an agreement that enables us to participate as an equal partner
in order that we can contribute to solving the Zimbabwe crisis.
This is the mandate we have from the people.
Three months after signing
the GPA we have to evaluate why there is no agreement? As an act
of the MDC's good faith, we allowed Mugabe to be President in a
coalition government. We are saddened by the fact that he is still
trying to stay in power at all costs and reduce MDC to a junior
partner in the new government. Let me remind you that at the moment,
Zimbabwe has no government. The previous government is refusing
to leave or share office despite losing the March 29th elections
and despite the signing of the GPA. Mugabe himself called his last
cabinet the worst in the country's history - and yet he has
retained these incompetent ministers who are overseeing the humanitarian
catastrophe that is unfolding in Zimbabwe today.
Throughout the negotiation
process, the MDC has shown patience, political maturity and willingness
to make significant concessions to create a government that can
begin to address the suffering of the people. In this we have constantly
been rebuffed by Zanu PF, and the region itself has often been silent
where their transgressions are concerned.
The Mugabe regime
has willfully and repeatedly broken the letter and the spirit of
this agreement and the Memorandum
of Understanding that led to this agreement, through both procedural
violations and the continued persecution of innocent Zimbabweans.
In the past two months,
more than 42 members of the MDC and civil society have been abducted
and their whereabouts are still unknown. The regime is conducting
a deliberate and targeted national terror campaign to undermine
the MDC's support within Zimbabwe and the work of the pro-democracy
and human rights organizations.
This situation can no
longer continue. The MDC can no longer sit at the same negotiating
table with a party that is abducting our members, and other innocent
civilians, and refusing to produce any of them before a court of
law.
Therefore, if
these abductions do not cease immediately, and if all the abductees
are not released or charged in a court of law by January 1st 2009,
I will be asking the MDC's National Council to pass a resolution
to suspend all negotiations and contact with Zanu PF. There can
be no meaningful talks while a campaign of terror is being waged
against our people.
There is an increasing
sense of urgency surrounding the resolution of the Zimbabwe crisis.
Not only is the death toll through disease, hunger, poverty and
oppression rising every day, but Zimbabweans themselves are beginning
to feel that the hope they invested in the Global Political Agreement
will never mature into tangible benefits.
The people of
Zimbabwe cannot be expected to continue living under such appalling
conditions indefinitely. Therefore, this negotiation process must
now be confined to a specific timeframe in which all the outstanding
issues are addressed, including, the appointment of Provincial governors,
the composition and constitution of the National Security Council,
and equity in the allocation of key ministries. If this cannot be
achieved then internationally supervised presidential election must
be conducted in an environment that is conducive to a free and fair
poll.
A minor matter in terms
of the suffering of our people, but a significant matter when it
prevents me from being with them in their time of need is my passport.
I have been waiting for six months now for a simple travel document
that is my constitutional right. This matter has also become a symbol
of Zanu PF's lack of good faith in the negotiating process and it
must be addressed now.
In respect to
all these issues, I will be calling on SADC and the African Union
as the guarantors of this Global Political Agreement, to ensure
that these conditions are met in order to alleviate the suffering
of the Zimbabwean people in the shortest possible time.
The regime has also been
making baseless and ludicrous allegations that the MDC is training
armed insurgents in Botswana. Let me state that the MDC is not conducting
military training camps in Botswana or any other country as this
would be contrary to the values and objectives of the MDC. In fact
the Zimbabwe parliament is already debating a motion to condemn
Zanu PF for these baseless allegations. Therefore, I welcome the
statement by South Africa's President Motlanthe who this week stated
there was no foundation to these allegations. I also thank him for
taking the regional lead to address the humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe.
However, I encourage
SADC to become more actively involved in finding a solution to our
crisis once and for all. There is nothing to be gained from trying
to push the MDC into an agreement just for the sake of removing
Zimbabwe from the SADC agenda. The MDC can only enter a new government
when our support from the people translates to substantial gains
for them in terms of democracy, freedom and economic growth.
We are told that SADC
is the key to resolving the Zimbabwe crisis but why then is that
key not opening the door to a more democratic dispensation in our
country?
SADC needs to ask itself
if resolving the Zimbabwe crisis requires them to work more closely
with the African Union and the United Nations? After all, this negotiation
process was mandated to SADC by the AU and therefore we ask that
SADC makes a formal report to the African body on the state of the
negotiations in general and the outcome of the November 9th summit
in particular.
In conclusion, I would
like to address the people of Zimbabwe.
You, the people
of Zimbabwe are enduring a heroic struggle with peaceful resolve.
You are enduring hunger and disease. You are enduring the regime's
betrayal and broken promises. The world marvels at your bravery
in the face of such hardship and oppression. Mugabe and his regime
were convinced that they would defeat you by now. They thought that
by declaring war on the people, by imposing the worst kind of sanctions
on all of us, that we would abandon our struggle and our dreams.
They were wrong. I know that our belief in our right to live in
a Zimbabwe that can provide us with freedom, food, jobs, education
and health care is stronger than the hate and maliciousness that
drives those few who continue to cling to power so desperately and
regardless of the cost to our country.
I salute the
health workers you have been on the frontline of the war against
cholera despite working under appalling conditions for very little
pay. In fact, all our civil servants, who continue to do their jobs
regardless of the meager salaries and poor working conditions need
our respect and gratitude. I know that the vast majority of Zanu
PF members are truly patriotic and only want what is best for Zimbabwe
and are prepared to work with us to create a New Zimbabwe and a
New Beginning. I know that the majority of personnel in our security
forces have genuine grievances about their conditions of service
and they do not want to be used as a tool of oppression but instead
look forward to the day when they can be the means of our protection.
I know that this is our darkest hour and that the dawn is not far
away. People of Zimbabwe, the MDC will never forsake the mandate
that you gave us to deliver the peaceful, democratic change that
you desire.
I thank you.
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