ZIMBABWE — Your majesty, King Mswat III, who is also the Chairman of the SADC organ on politics, security and defence; Your Excellency, the SADC chairman, President Mbeki, who is the dialogue facilitator; Your Excellency, the AU Chairman, President Kikwete; Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government; members of the diplomatic corps; ladies and gentlemen; fellow Africans; fellow citizens; allow me this opportunity to say a few words on this great day in our country.

 

My starting point is to thank those that made today a reality. President Mbeki must be praised for his patience and tenacity. We must thank SADC and the AU as institutions. Then there are the negotiators themselves, they executed their tasks judiciously.

 

 

The three political parties must be congratulated for their commitment to the dialogue; ZANU-PF, the MDC led by my colleague here Morgan Tsvangirai, and the MDC that I lead. We must all thank these institutions and individuals for a job well done.

 

It is important that we appreciate the meaning and context of this power sharing agreement. What we have here is a compromise document.

 

It is a product of putting national interest before partisan and personal interests. Yes, the agreement has flaws, warts and all. However, it is the best short-term answer required to extricate our country from its worst situation.

 

It is a document achieved by Zimbabweans, working together as Zimbabweans under the guidance of our African brothers. It is a victory for the philosophy of African solutions to African problems. Nevertheless, we must emphasize that today is just but the beginning. The work has just started.

 

As we celebrate and absorb this great occasion in our country it is important that we appreciate the challenges we are going to face as we try to implement this power-sharing agreement. The first challenge is that we have, in this inclusive government, protagonists who used to detain and fight each other. We have the jailed and jailers in the same government.

 

We are people who used to be enemies to each other. We are coming out of a history of extreme polarization, divisions and acrimony. How do you get these former enemies to work together with cohesion? The second challenge is that this government has to make very painful decisions. Tough and courageous decisions have to be made in order to drive the Zimbabwean economy.

 

How do you effectively make these decisions in an inclusive government without one leader or the other passing the buck or avoiding taking responsibility? There is a danger of leaders trying to posture as the good guy or lady, and not wanting to identify with the tough actions to be taken. Leadership is about leading from the front. Leadership is about making unpopular decisions popular. Are we ready to lead?

 

Another challenge is national healing. How do you make sure that the healing process is cascaded from the top to every village and every urban street? It is not enough for the political leaders to heal among themselves, there has to be a broader national healing process.

 

Are we going to be able to do this? The very nature of the humanitarian, political and economic crisis we are confronting, presents a tall order in terms of the work to be done. Creating a society where freedoms of association, assembly and expression are respected and cherished demands a lot of effort. These are the challenges before us. Ladies and Gentlemen, our work is cut out for us.

 

The first point in addressing these challenges is to say that these three political parties represented on this podium must work together as cooperating partners in an effective and inclusive government.  

 

On this stage upfront, there is no longer such a thing as an opposition party or a ruling party. We are now working together as a united and cohesive governing coalition. We are going to fail or succeed together. Therefore my challenge to the people of Zimbabwe is that the time has come for you to form a new opposition party against us!!

 

Without proper and planned execution, this agreement is worthless. What is important is effective implementation of this agreement. We need to carry out stabilization of our economy. We need an economic recovery plan.  And more importantly we need to transform Zimbabwe into a globally competitive economy.

 

We are not contended with just having economic stabilization and recovery. We want to economically empower our people through manufacturing, and local processing of all our minerals. We are sick and tired of being sick and tired of being producers of raw materials.

 

Our natural resources, human capital and infrastructure must benefit Zimbabweans and Zimbabwe. We have to move up the global value chains and become net exporters.

 

 

We need a paradigm shift from aid to investment. This is the message to Western countries, to SADC, to Africa and to the entire globe.  Humanitarian assistance, economic stabilization and recovery are not enough.

 

We want radical economic transformation. Sustainability of our economic revolution depends on investment driven economic development and not charity and hand-outs. We are also keen on a regional and Pan-African mindset. We must succeed as SADC, we must succeed as Africa. This is our agenda. These are our aspirations.

 

 

In conclusion, I want to say to my fellow principals President Mugabe and President Tsvangirai; we came, we fought viciously among ourselves, and we finally signed the power-sharing agreement.  

 

Now is the time to walk the talk and deliver on the promise of the dialogue outcome. People of Zimbabwe demand results and performance. We have to dramatically improve the material conditions of our people. This is a clarion call for an economic revolution in our country. We must deliver on the promise of this power sharing agreement. This is our charge.

 

I thank you.

 

 

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