Christmas Message to the people of Zimbabwe from President Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change
We enter the festive season as a nation in despair. Traditionally the season is a period enabling us to share gifts, express our love, facilitate family reunions and, above all, remember the birth of Christ.
The year 2002 has been the most difficult one for the majority. After the stolen election in March, we were thrust into darkness. We were disabled by the scale of the theft of our voice.
Robert Mugabe's forced stay in office was a mere paper crown. As you have experienced, the situation has worsened since then. We feel vindicated in that our cries and concerns about Zanu PF's inability to turn around the country's fortunes are now glaringly clear to all at home and abroad.
Food has become critically short; jobs are vanishing daily; the nation's health delivery system is on its knees; and essential commodities have long disappeared from the market.
We are under intense pressure for reasons we all know arise from the deepening crisis of governance. This will never disappear until we accept the serious challenges ahead and confront them with a view to pave the way for a better life for all.
We need to get sufficient food at a rate that is fast enough to avert famine. The HIV/Aids pandemic is wreaking havoc, taking away the precious lives of our most productive citizens.
Inflation is currently running at more than 144,2% in an economy entering its fifth straight year of recession and expected to shrink by more than the officially acknowledged 10,6% this year.
Our once vibrant agriculture sector, the mainstay of the economy, is at present in disarray and in need of urgent and constructive attention. This has impacted negatively on the stability of the agro-industrial sector, hit the security of 350 000 permanent farm workers and about 50 000 seasonal workers. With their dependants, this figure translates to the displacement of between two and three million people.
Life expectancy as at the year 2000 had fallen from about 60 years to 37,8 years.
The nation has become de-humanised. The time has come for us to recapture the energy we harnessed early in 2000.
Beyond this sad Christmas period, we must reflect and interrogate ourselves with a view to wade through this darkness and see next year as our year of freedom.
We must have as our lights the values of: compassion, respect, human dignity and collective unity.
We need a fulfilling policy of inclusion rather than policy that excludes. Across the political, racial and cultural divides, we must step forward and play our part especially now that literally everybody, including the staunch Zanu PF supporters, have accepted that Mugabe and their party lack the capacity and willingness to save Zimbabwe.
Our position on the way forward remains clear and unwavering:
- Mugabe must accept immediate retirement.
- The MDC will support legislative and constitutional amendments through Parliament to facilitate the necessary changes for the management of the interim and transitional arrangements.
- A transitional authority will be set up and the composition must include representatives from key Zimbabwean organisations and political parties.
- This authority should hold office for a limited period and prepare for fresh presidential elections.
- During this time the transitional authority must work to rebuild trust and put in place a conducive climate for free political activity.
- A priority will be to overcome the humanitarian crisis facing our country.
Morgan Tsvangirai
President
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