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Statement made by President Morgan Tsvangirai: 17 April 2008


Today on the eve of Independence Day in Zimbabwe, I'm here to thank the World for the help you are giving the liberation struggle of our nation.
This is, in many ways, the saddest Independence Day since our independence from colonial rule in 1980.
Our people are literally starving; Zimbabwe is amongst the worst humanitarian crisis of this new century.
Our humanitarian crisis has political roots, and that gives us hope, because political problems have political solutions.
Zimbabweans have no food because of the policies of President Robert Mugabe; Zimbabweans have no schools, because of the policies of President Robert Mugabe; Zimbabweans have no hospital care, because of President Robert Mugabe's policies.
And on March 29th, the people of Zimbabwe in their largely free election, repudiated President Robert Mugabe and Zanu pf and elected a new government.
For three weeks now, the people of Zimbabwe have waited peacefully.
They have waited for a peaceful transfer of power from the defeated old regime, to the democratically elected new government. So far that transition is not ok'd.
Within days, Italy has counted and announced a new president, in the stark contrast to our situation back home.
Zimbabwe waits.
How long shall Africa's millions wait for democracy to enlighten a continent so rich and endowed in potential?
How many more meetings to discuss crises from Rwanda, to Ethiopia, to Darfur, and to Zimbabwe?
So the nations of the World have done what good neighbours should do: they have enquired; they've asked what's wrong.
They've pounded on our doors. They fear that something is wrong in their neighbour's house and they've raised the cry of alarm.
I want to thank Southern African leaders who met recently in Lusaka. You have let your voice be heard.
I want to thank the leading industrial nations of the World, organised under G8. You have let your voices be heard.
I want to thank the Secretary General of the United Nations. Yours is the voice of the whole World, and you have let the World's voice be heard.
Each nation on its own Independence Day should celebrate its own independence; but it should rightly recognise the independence of others. Independence is raised on the fundamental rights of self-government which belongs to all people in all nations.
While the voices of the World have been raised, many in Zimbabwe have not yet been heard.
There remains no free press in Zimbabwe, so I am using the free news media of South Africa and the World so the people of Zimbabwe can be heard.
We are not alone. And the World is with us.
The World longs for us to take our rightful place again among the community of nations.
To my fellow Zimbabweans I cannot speak to you on the national media, but I speak to you from my heart - that freedom comes and your voice and your vote shall be heard.

The legal authority of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has expired.
Their moral authority has been laughed away. What ZEC says no longer matters.
What matters is the votes cast on 29th of March, and posted outside each polling station.
Those votes elected MDC as the majority in Parliament, and elected me as President of Zimbabwe.
The regime is conditioning people to believe that there is a run-off.
There is no run off: we won this election decisively.
In preparation for this, Robert Mugabe and his hand of criminals have unleashed an orgy of violence against the people.
As I speak, our people are being murdered, their homes are being burnt, children molested, women raped.
We have seen again the brutal vindictiveness of this man.
We want to thank President Mbeki for all his efforts, but President Mbeki needs to be relieved from his duty.
However, we've asked President Mwanawasa to lead a new initiative to urgently deal with the extraordinary situation we face at this moment.
We cannot wait another day, we cannot wait another week: we need a special envoy or a special committee or a delegation to come to Zimbabwe immediately, and deal with the issue following the Kenyan model. [A delegation] who will stay in the country until an agreement and a solution has been found.
Zanu-PF wants bloodshed, but instead we will shed light on that bloodshed.
We shall fight with the truth, and take the strength of our courage and conviction to see the value of life, law and liberty, return to our country and to our continent.
The movement has begun, and I ask you members of the media to join us in ensuring that the objective of democratic change in Zimbabwe is achieved.
I thank you.

Letzte Änderung: Saturday, 19-Apr-2008 14:04:09 CEST
Vorherige Meldung:
12.4.2008 Petition: Democracy for Zimbabwe