Tsvangirai calls on global Zimbabwe community to help rebuild their country
Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, at a press conference in Cape Town today (Thursday, December 3), said that he, together with number of senior representatives from parties that constitute the country’s Inclusive Government, is visiting South Africa to hold a series of meetings with leading figures from the Zimbabwean Diaspora to discuss ways to fast-track sustainable economic growth in that country.
Tsvangirai, leading a government delegation, is meeting with prominent figures in Zimbabwe’s Diaspora coming from 14 countries. The meeting entitled, “The challenges of Economic Reconstruction” began in Franschhoek earlier today.
The meeting is aimed at facilitating dialogue between the Inclusive Government and Zimbabweans in the Diaspora.
The meeting is hosted by the Institute of Justice and Reconciliation (IJR), a South African non-governmental organization that promotes transitional justice initiatives across the African continent.
Tsvangirai noted that he “recognizes and values Zimbabweans in the Diaspora and the critical role they can and should play in bolstering sustainable economic growth in Zimbabwe.” The Prime Minister stated that he “wanted to achieve a closer working relationship with all Zimbabweans in the Diaspora, many of whom are nfluential Zimbabweans working in leading international intergovernmental-, business-, and finance institutions.”
Dr. Fanie du Toit, executive director of the IJR said that these sessions were a means to facilitate dialogue amongst Zimbabweans and create conditions for sustainable economic growth, which is a deliverable of the Inclusive Government under the GPA.
“The IJR is regularly requested to facilitate these kinds of conversations across political and social fault-lines. As South Africans, we experienced the value of conversations such as these which paved the way for our democracy.
“We have facilitated this engagement at the request of Zimbabweans both within the country and those outside. The GPA, despite its difficulties, continues to provide us with a window of opportunity to get certain basic building blocks of a democratic transition in place. Economic success, for one, will be vital, not only for democracy, but also for social cohesion.” Du Toit added.
Press Release issued on behalf of the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation by HWB Communications ( Pty) Ltd.
December 4th, 2009 02:59
Morgan, we in the diaspora have had our rights to Zimbabwean citizenship taken away and our right to vote in the diaspora denied.
We also note that the scum who looted the country’s wealth continue to hold onto their ill-gotten gains while political murderers go unpunished.
Return us our citizenship and right to vote, give us your word that the guilty will be punished and the nation’s wealth recovered, and then we will gladly help you get the economy back on track.
December 8th, 2009 15:34
@Graham (the original) – l agree with this comment a hundred and thousand times.whilst their children are safe in the diaspora,they are calling us to come home and be the next victimns of zanu pf.instead of setting the next date of mugabe’s trial and his cronies for extreme human rights abuse and murder,tsvangirai should stop worrying about people in the diaspora.May he please as a leader ask his mp’s to bring back their sons;dauther’s;brothers and sisters first to zimbabwe,and himself as well then we follow,tvangirai lead by example dont just talk.Tsvangirai has to realise that until zimbabwe has a free and fair election,there is no peace at all in zimbabwe.Zvake zvekutsvaga mari kuvarungu nesu,puting our lives at risk is wrong.l personally am getting fade up with this man.wake up mugabe has not and will not change.give us a right to vote then we will show you what we mean when we say mugabe must go.why reason with a terrorist.
December 9th, 2009 04:23
In a recent article, Sanderson Makombe put forward the eminently sensible suggestion that the 3 million plus Zimbabweans in the Diaspora should not only have the right to vote, but their votes should be for “expatriate MP’s” representing “Diaspora constituencies”. For example, 5 expatriate MP’s could represent those Zimbabweans currently exiled in the UK.
He notes that other countries already do this: France’s parliament has 11 expatriate MP’s, Portugal 4, and Croatia 12.
To avoid increasing the size of the Zimbabwe parliament, Mugabe’s 30 non-constituency seats could be re-allocated to represent those in the Diaspora.
December 10th, 2009 15:34
@Graham (the original) – Too bloody true. I won’t be as eloquent as Graham, but having all one’s constitutional rights stripped along with one’s livelihood, home, business and retirement plan needs more than a limp appeal from Morgan “to return home”.
I’ll be frank – I am having trouble remembering the fervour with which I respected and supported Morgan. I feel distinctly betrayed by his permissive stance towards Mugabe.
Like so many of my other comments on this site – I would dearly love to find my misgivings ill-founded. Until then I would not dream of giving up a second lifetime’s endeavours to Zim.
December 13th, 2009 18:03
Zuma has to kick start Zimbabwe and try to get as many foreigners as possible out of South Africa before the World Cup ends. Otherwise in August there will be a major xenophobic uprising.
December 14th, 2009 09:39
Sadly Morgan you won’t get the responses you want until some of the issues raised by Graham (the original) and miss t are addressed, which could only happen if and when you obtain political power in Zimbabwe.
Not a title, not busyness, not achievements or influence even, but political power. Mugabe is still in power and very soon you and the MDC will have to turn all your attention to “damage minimization” throughout Zimbabwe as pre-election “activities” increase in Zanu-PF.
Great wisdom and foresight is needed right now, the sabre rattling in Zanu-PF is only intensifying; the horrific possibility of elections Mugabe-style loom again.
December 28th, 2009 15:45
Any 1 who knows of company in Zimbabwe that employees IT proffessionals ,really wanna go work back home.
January 8th, 2010 23:58
Bob and [edit] his ilk turned the Jewel of Africa, the breadbasket of the continent, into a blood-drenched cesspool of disease, starvation, corruption and villainy.
Now, a handful of them have realized that butchering or driving out those who actually made things work was a mistake.
So, I guess it’s OK then–I mean–as long as *one or two* of them admit that the last 40-some-odd-years of murder, terror, savagery, world condemnation and the genocide of the whites was, perhaps, somewhat in error, I suppose we should all just kiss and make-up, huh?
So Morgan’s “Come home and let bygones be bygones” attitude is going to protect my family from roving bands of drunken, racist war vets with AK-47s? Um, no. So can my family own appropriate firearms and ammo to protect ourselves? To prevent our houses from being burned down like the Freeths and Campbells? No? Then forget it.
This is not sour grapes: In an instant, I would return and help make that breathtakingly beautiful country prosperous again, but not at the cost of my family’s safety. Nope, sorry. Seen enough of the “fleeing for your life with the clothes on your back and a pack of stale Kingsgate” thing, don’t need a repeat performance.
Just a few weeks ago, Army regulars beat the bejesus out of an innocent catholic priest a short distance from where I used to live. Were they brought to justice? Not to my knowledge. Are those same soldiers still manning the same checkpoint? Likely. Are there more uniformed thugs just like them? Lots.
Until Morgan can guarantee that those returning would live in peace and safety and with the assistance, protection and complete cooperation of a caring, compassionate government and with the right to and means of personal self-defense, he’s wasting his breath.