There is no dialogue with Zanu PF - Statement by Tendai Biti
Press Statement from Hon Tendai Biti, MP, MDC Secretary-General:
There are recent widespread reports that Zanu PF and MDC are talking and are about to conclude an agreement to form a Government of National Unity (GNU).
Nothing can be as malicious and as further from the truth.
As a matter of fact, there are no talks or discussions taking place between the two parties and most importantly, there is no agreement in the offing.
Whilst the MDC pursued dialogue in a bid to establish a Government of National Healing before the 12th June 2008, the sham and catalyptic election on 27 June 2008 totally and completely exterminated any prospects of a negotiated settlement.
It is now the firm view of the MDC that those who claim they have got a mandate to govern should govern. Chitongai tione..
July 1st, 2008 15:43
morgan is the true totally legal president of zimbabwe and as such should call the other african countries and possibly the west to throw the now impersonator mugabe out,and then to charge him with crimes against humanity.mugabe talks like a person with the 1st signs of dementure and has now obviously lost focus on anything but himself.quite a few years ago i had respect for mugabe but now i have no respaect at all for him and the sooner he is replaced the sooner this country can be made great again.morgan won a totally honest election,we should all help to put him where he belongs as president.how on earth mugabe thinks its ok to intimidate,murder and torture anybody in the 21st century just shows how his mind has not kept up with modern times and its way beyond time that people with these ideas are put in a place where they cannot commit anymore suffering.we dont need talks,we need mugabe replaced as he is now an imposter.the sooner the better.
July 1st, 2008 16:19
WOZA are asking for messages of support for the detained members. Let’s leave messages for them - they have worked continuously for us all for years & I can imagine how much psychological need there is to know people are thinking of you from a Zim jail. http://www.wozazimbabwe.org/
July 1st, 2008 16:23
The situation in Zimbabwe is absolutely ridiculous and other nations are too slow to censure him. We must tell the international community to remove him from power. There’s a new petition to make world leaders act against Mugabe’s dictatorship. If you want to sign it, here’s the link: http://go.care2.com/15560399. Let’s get this guy out of power!
July 1st, 2008 16:30
Let’s keep working till this comes right… on to the next positive actions we can take. There is an online petition:
“Boycott 2010 World Cup If South African continues to ignore Human Rights Abuses in Zimbabwe.”
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/974640253
July 1st, 2008 18:04
“The situation in Zimbabwe is absolutely ridiculous and other nations are too slow to censure him.”
Most other nations are run by dictators (Mubarak) or would-be dictators (Chavez). Why would they support democracy?
India should speak out more strongly, but you can hardly expect China or Russia to object to Mugabe’s methods.
July 1st, 2008 18:16
I am depressed. I am ashamed. I am saddened. I am also tired of stories of the good old Zim days. They make me cry. I was born-free. I was never there when the whites oppressed the blacks. I was lucky. Never say I am ungrateful and I do not understand. I am grateful and yes I do not understand I do not understand this hatred they have tried to teach Zimbabweans. When Taylor hit that 4 against the Aussies I did not see a team divided by racial lines. I did not see a nation divided by racial lines. That shot pulled every Zimbabwean’s heart strings Black White Indian Coloured. As the boys ran around the field holding the flag up we were a proud nation. In that moment I felt like, Zimbabweans together we can make the impossible happen. But now I am saddened.
We have memories of home. We all have the smell of rain carved into our nostrils, sadza and all the other stuff people like to bring up. I do not want to hear it anymore. I miss home. I am tied of trying to beg the world to help Zimbabwe. Zimbabweans have always been proud and aware of the superiority of everything we once had like a world class education ystem and 80% literacy. In the beginning when the situation was deteriorating and laughing at the odd Zim joke was acceptable we always had amunition to boast and regain some dignity by reminding people of our literacy levels and even the Victoria Falls for crying out loud. But now I am just depressed. I can not sign another petition. All the fire has been peeed upon by bob.
I like so many have family back home. I worry about them and now and again I hear one has died. There was nothing anyone could do because because there is no medicine. I am just deeply depressed. Zimbabwe was my home. Zimbabwe is no longer my home because me and my ideas of democracy, freedom of speech, being friends with white people and human rights are not welcome there. Because home is where you live and I do not live there. Because home is where one’s parents are but mine are not there. We like most other families are scattered all over the world.
Good God what has happened! What have we allowed to occurr?
Apparently the name of this website means enough is enough.
I HAVE SERIOUSLY RUN OUT OF IDEAS, EXCEPT ONE SOMEONE PLEASE ORGANISE ANOTHER CONFERENCE OUTSIDE ZIM SO SOMEONE ELSE CAN DO THE NECCESARY.
Please there can be no government of national unity. There just can not. We need a fresh start.
July 1st, 2008 19:10
@ Truthtalker, 1/7, 15.43
The problem is that he controls the arms and weapons, the intimidated people have none. so replacing him ain’t gonna be easy that way.
July 1st, 2008 19:17
Botswana denounces Mugabe victory
Breaking News
The vice-president of Botswana has strongly condemned Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe over last week’s poll.
Mompati Merfahe said the vote “did not reflect the unfettered will of the people” and Zimbabwe should be excluded from African Union and regional talks.
The statement was made at an African Union summit in Egypt.
see BBC
July 1st, 2008 19:30
What we need is huge pressure on South Africa, to make them realise the threat to the future if Zimbabwe is allowed to carry on under mugabe and zanu. The football world cup means a lot to SA, money-wise as well as status. So let’s pressure FIFA and the World Cup sponsors to lean on Mbeki and Co to see sense.
FIFA doesn’t let us email except through the contact page:
Contact page: http://www.fifa.com/contact/form.html
SA World cup sponsors include:
http://www.budweiser.com
http://www.mcdonalds.com
http://www.mtn.com
http://www.fnb.co.za
http://www.telkom.co.za
Edgars Consolidated Stores (Edcon)
South African Football Association: raymond.hack@safa.net
US Soccer Federation: communications@ussoccer.org
Germany Deutscher Fussball-Bund: info@dfb.de
Football Federation Australia Limited: info@footballaustralia.com.au
July 1st, 2008 20:05
“What we need is huge pressure on South Africa”
Don’t you think the ANC intends to rule for ever, just like Zanu-PF? Isn’t that why Mbeki supports Mugabe?
July 1st, 2008 20:52
From my safe haven, I also applaud the stance of the MDC - no GNU, NEVER! No supping with the devil. At best that would only prolong what must be enivitable.
Courage and good must eventually prevail - at what cost I do not know, but certainly the cost nationally must be lower than anything Mugabe can hope to offer (sic).
I may not face the daily matters of Zimbabwe, but I do stay glued to internet late into the night, and steal my employer’s time at work too, to do the same during the day.
I rant and rave in my office, and all my (non-Zimbabwean) colleagues enthusiatically follow the stories. The support outside Zim is profound, in spirit if not body.
God be with you!
July 1st, 2008 21:03
@Don Cox
I’m sure it runs deeper than that, though in Africa that would be reason enough.
So we ask, what exactly is the grip Mugabe has on Mbeki? It certainly surpasses normal relations, or even the “older brother” syndrome to which Africa is prey.
What about diamonds? Now there’s a thought - not a new one, but maybe one that is not explored enough.
There are the diamonds of Congo, or even the recently discovered pipe in South Eastern Zim – a massive deposit 8kms by 5kms wide. Man – that must be extraordinarily attractive to a Band of Brothers, hey? Enough to sacrifice a nation for? Maybe, if you’re Mbeki & co.
Surely someone knows something that can be used. Afterall I suspect Sokwanele was instrumental in the Arms Ship Saga, and later the Money Printing Saga. Next chapter - Blood Diamond Saga.
July 1st, 2008 21:15
Refugesta
I hear you and I sympathise. Mate, home is always home…. we will go home, maybe not today, but we will go home and it will be great again, different but great because we are a great people and we will make it so. Our kids will make it so, we have to keep it alive and we have to keep pushing. A nation is people, and our beliefs of freedom; democracy, friends are part of us as people. The thugs can tell us what to believe but they cannot change what we actually do believe in our hearts. So many nations have caved we cannot and will not let that happen to Zim. For the sake of all those who have died, we have to keep the dream alive.
July 1st, 2008 21:40
Having followed this story intensely in SA and commented in support of the MDC I must say that it is time for Zimbabweans to wake up and smell the coffee. SA will not help you, calling for pressure on the 2010 world cup will not help you. You need to start helping yourselves.
You have a simple choice. Lie down in the street or at home (if you still have one) and die from starvation or stand up, now, and sort your problems out. Either way you will die. Your choice is now simple, you die on your terms or you die on Mugabes terms. When this persecution happens in Europe one side does not simply give up claiming “we are a peace loving people” blah, blah, cry me a river, they fight back HARD. Look at Bosnia as a recent example.
A little advice, study how the Boer Commandos controlled the might of the British Empire during the Anglo Boer war. They were out gunned, out manned, out provisioned. Tactically, they beat the British hands down.
July 1st, 2008 21:47
Interesting comments on BBC. EU will only recognise GNU led by Morgan. Magombe is speaking very very well re isolation of Zimbabwe. He called the AU a club of murderers and said they were trying to trick everyone to accept mugabe as the president of zimbabwe. He went on to say that any discussions should be between Zanupf, MDC and other groups but not Mugabe. Good interview.