There is hope that Zimbabwe will turn around her economic situation with the help of member States in the region, Southern African Development Community (SADC) executive secretary, Tomaz Augusto Salomao has said.
Dr Salomao, who was tasked to assess the economic situation in Zimbabwe at the last SADC extraordinary summit in Tanzania in March this year, told journalists in Lusaka yesterday that not all was lost in Zimbabwe.
The overall political and security situation in the SADC region remained stable and was expected to remain so despite challenges experienced during the earlier quarter of this year in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
Dr Salomao had been to Zimbabwe four times and met President Robert Mugabe and his cabinet, the private sector, some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other stakeholders, and observed that it was not a secret that the country faced a difficult situation.
“Four elements were clear during my visit. The economy of Zimbabwe is viable and that is under sanctions. Zimbabwe may be the only country in the world where when one needs to import a pen, they need to pay tax and you cannot run an economy like that.
“Above all, there is room to improve management of Zimbabwe’s exchange rate and review her reserves,†Dr Salomao said.
He was happy that SADC responded to the challenges in solidarity with the foregone nations as a safeguard to the overall regional political peace and stability at the highest level with an extra-ordinary summit of the SADC Heads of State and Government held on March 29, 2007 in Tanzania.
“This summit directed several of its organs and the secretariat to assess the situation in these countries, and also mandated South African President Thabo Mbeki, to mediate in the political dialogue in Zimbabwe and report back to the Lusaka summit.
The ministerial troika of the organ on politics, defence and security cooperation undertook assessment missions to Lesotho and the DRC,†Dr Salomao said.
Sir Ketumile Masire, former president of Botswana, in his capacity as SADC Eminent Person, undertook a mission to Lesotho to facilitate dialogue amongst the stakeholders on issues pertaining to the electoral process in that country, and consultations are ongoing.
Dr Salomao said that SADC remained a peaceful and politically stable region fully committed to peace and security of all its member states.
“SADC believes that political tolerance and dialogue are tools to seeking lasting solutions to the challenges in the region,†he said.
SADC has a balancing act to perform here. A good number of the heads of state, including LPM, would rather Mugabe just went away somehow. However, they cannot say so to his face. So they just resort to humouring him. The truth is that Zim is a sinking ship and it will continue until Mugabe goes. If the rest of Southern Africa did not need a stable Zim, South Africa would have just switched off power supply and Zim would have descended into chaos and collapsed. As things stand now, Zim is dying a slow death and is holding back development in the rest of the SADC countries. Why doesn’t Mugabe do the right thing and go! The only people who love him are those people who do not live in Zim. Zimbabwean are too busy suffering to be sentimental about him.
The solution in Zimbabwe is not getting Mugabe out of power.Mugabe should continue to rule that country until their economy stabilises ,so we can prove to the west that we are able to do it.If ridding him out proves to be the solution,then we Africans will not rule ourselves.Mugabe in the early 80’s was being praised by the settlers as the best African leader,you know why?Find out why.now the best is evil?The settlers took land from our fore fathers without compasating them ,why do they want compasation?.You people,if these settlers were and are genuine, why didn’t they share the land equally the time they were in power with our forefathers?These settlers are too pompus they want their NO to be felt and not ours.Mugabe also made a mistake to let them stay for 20 years and he is facing the consqences,for his stoogeness.Do we discuss europeans land issues in Africa?but why do they discuss africans land issues in europe?Think twice.
There is something futile about placing hope in one man. What happens if dies? Mugabe has never been interested in the people of Zimbabwe. If he had been, he would have sorted out the land issue well before the late 1990’s. Instead, he was happy to be praised by the West whilst his people went landless for many years. It was only when he was no longer the darling of the West that he decided to teach the West a lesson by grabbing land from their ‘cousins’. #2 Wanyanya, would you be happy to sacrifice democracy in Zambia in order to allow LPM to teach the West a lesson? That is exactly what has happened in Zim. Africans with a chip on their shoulders are happy to sacrifice Zim at the alter of hopeless causes, but they themselves don’t want to move to Zim to live there and help build the country. Africa will only be free when Africans start thinking with their heads instead of their hearts.
Africa needs to fight economic injustice as a unit. We are too small and poor to wage a serious fight as national entities. Zimbabwe, not Mugabe, need our support. But whats happening in WTO for instance shows its a complex fight gaming with imperialists.
Hong Kong was colonised by Britain for many years and the Chinese there were treated very badly by the British. However, you cannot forever suppress Chinese spirit. In the end even the British had to accept that the indigenous Chinese were better at business than their colonisers. The Chinese took time to study their colonial master and actually became more successful. In 1997, when the British finally left Hong Kong, they were not missed because the Chinese had bought back most of the businesses. Of course I am NOT suggesting that Zimbabweans should have bought back the farms, but perhaps Mugabe should have conducted the seizure of land in a more orderly fashion. This would have ensured continued productivity and the antagonism with the West would have been avoided. The Zim government mishandled the whole thing. Instead of outsmarting the West, they lost their cool and the support of other continents. Asians are aware that Africans don’t always welcome them also!
Mugabe is a double edged sword and a sellout. It is time he left the scene and moderates come in and steer back the economy and continue the empowerment policy with common sense. It is well documented that Mugabe has outlived his usefulness both to the locals and international society.
The Zimbabwean should kick him out using any means possible, even a military coup d’etat would do and then restore an elected govt within six months. Mugabe can be sent to his farm and honored thereafter for the liberation struggle.
#6 Drgoodfeel so you are back we missed you. Now tell how many did you kill yourself at Chainama to continue working. Have you thought of resigning? Your services are required somewhere else. Dr. HK you have also overlived your useness. Retire now and leave Autospy to Schwedish doc. DRgoodfeel why bloodshed are you going to sacrify yourself your life. Pipo its good that SADC is taking a good step to solve Zimbabwean cricises before someone hijacked it. Pilz read Lancaster Agreement before continue crtising Mugabe. All humans are qual in the eyes of God.Those who are advocating that Mugabe has overstayed I challenge them to resign their positions to because they have over stayed. #4 Francis is right when he talks of Economic injustice and WTO I will add on that what has happened in ZIM is Economic Murder combinated with slow puncture. This time no retreat no surrender
#7 Easy. You always apologise for killer Mugabe. Put your mouth where your is and move to Zimbabwe. Come back after one year and tell us how you enjoyed it.
#7 Easy. You always apologise for killer Mugabe. Put your money where your mouth is and move to Zimbabwe. Come back after one year and tell us how you enjoyed it. If Mugabe wants a quarrel with Bush or Blair let him resign like Blair and pursue the his enemy. Lancaster was not worth the paper it was written on. Any clever person would have started sorting out the land issue from the word go. Instead, our friend here was naive enough to trust the work of a British official. History is littered with broken British promises and lies.
i like to read #7 Easy’s articles and comments whether they’re on economics or politics. i have observed that a lot of people just post blogs for the sake of it, their comments don’t make so much sense. EASY tell me a your profile, you seem to be open minded and intelligent.
#10 Zambian, EASY is a college dropout, unemployed. Any time i meet him town, he always asks ” bakamba shaniko ka talk time ka blogging’. Thats hes summarized profile. Am surprised, you even see traces of intelligence in his Benglish articles and contributions.
I do agree with what #2 has said,its making alot of sense.Read through and you will agree with me.He has made a good research.
Too much of anything is bad, we went through this kind of period, anyone who lived in zed between late 80s early 90s will agree with. let us face it change of leadership in zim, is the answer. Before change of leadership in zed very few pipo, had passports. depended on one leader as our saviour not knowing he had lived his usefulness, in short support change of leadership in zim.SADC leaders must face and speak the truth to Mugabe.viva change in zim.
My friend #13 what zimbabwe is going through is completely different from what us zambians went through.First of all,do you know why our economy crumbled during Dr Kaunda era?Compare the currency rate of zimbabwe now and what it used to be in Kaunda time.I dont want to write too much some of these things dont need a rocket scientist to percieve.
“Mugabe has outlived his usefulness in office” as most of you have said. So who’s gonna take over? MDC is split into 2.
Easy! Just like Zambian has said, your contributions on the blog are good. Keep researching.
Kabwa PF/ULP Given Lubinda has been taken ill and admitted to UTH. I send my prayers for his quick recovery. But please, be careful with Sata. Stop sharing Cigar. As much as you are both Chain smokers, watch out you are now in politics shoulder to shoulder with the most greedy and heartless power hungry Sata. He stops at nothing when his dream is under threat of challenge.
#14 guly. There are some good points in what #2 has said. However, I disagree when he says that Mugabe is the answer. He is the problem, NOT the answer. As #2 himself has said, Mugabe was a white man’s stooge for 20 years. It was only when they started questioning his leadership that he decided to hit out at the white farmers. A lot of countries have addressed land issues before but not through violence and thuggery. Violence may have been justified before independence but not in an independent country that is supposed to aspire to the rule of law. Now the whole thing is more than just about land. Mugabe routinely terrorises his detractors. Would any Zambian on this blog be happy to see MMD cadres freely beating up anybody who criticises LPM? I am sure the answer is NO.
I must also point out that I like Easy’s contributions. He is a breath of fresh air. However, he should give HK a break.
#9 chitapankwa, how old are you? Do you real know where the peace you are enjoying is coming from or one of those who view every what Africans are tryinf to do to be bad. Chitapankwa 20 years ago its not possible to solve the land issue in Zimbabwe because of Aparthied in SA and struggle for the rebellation of Nambia. Do you that Nambia just got its independence in 1990 or you are not away. Mandela was released from prison on 11 Febraury 1990. SA got independence in 9. Mai 1994. Are you aware of this or you are so blind of the complications which were involved in this struggle. You know very well after the Fedearation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland in 1963 a group of farmers formed a UDI under Smith or you are too young to know this. Can you tell how is Mubarack, Kadaffi, the president of Senegal, the prisedent of Italy. Mugabe and Zimbabwe is being punished for taking part in the DR Congo war, Incepting messinaries who wanted to overthrow a due elected govt in a west african country.
Do you that those 4000 white farmers have been refusing to take Zimbabwean citizen like what their collegues did in Zambia and Malawi. Tell where on earth another country which the land of the nation is to 70% in the hands of foreigners. Do you know that the west incept fuel, spare parties and other commodities meant for Zimbabwe. Mugabe didnot impose hunger on his people but the sanctions which the west made on ZIM is causing the suffering. Yes Mugabe refused certain deals with the west just like Kaunda did on 1 May 1987. Today you know where Zambia is because of this change, Thank god we are peaceful and educated the crisis didnt lead to civil war. Do you that countries members of the UN ha to abid to certain agreements like not selling to ZIM requirements because they will be give the same punished. Why cannot Botswana trade with ZIM freely. Think twice and stop dreaming. I dont support the suffering of Zimbabwean but I support the solution being provided by the SADC.
#10 Zambian, Iam a civilised Zambia living at the moment in diaspora. I have higher qualifications economics and Iam learning everyday and I look forward to come home and impart the knowledge I have obtained. In life learn to be diverse move on the same levels with the changing world cultural, scientific, environmental, economical and technological und communicational.
# Correction,South Africans did not get independence but were just given freedom.Thats why you will never hear south africa celebrating independence day but just freedom day.
#19 Correction,South Africans did not get independence but were just given freedom.Thats why you will never hear south africa celebrating independence day but just freedom day.
#23 Can you define Freedom day and independence.
Internal sources have revealed that ba Sata became more suspicious after Lubinda visited Uganda, never mentioned PF or ba Presido throughout his trip and on return neither briefed him or remitted any shilling to the Party. That has made ba Sata more suspicious that Given is preparing for a take over of PF. He has been maneuvering to replace him with Chishimba Kambwili a Bemba and Chiluba cadre he trusts much for his tribal ranting against the likes of Given Lubinda a Lenje like Levy and Nephew to madam Marvis Muyunda the plot one political advisor. Not surprised that Lubinda has been poisoned and on the way to Chingwele.
ZANU PF has blacklisted 41 online publications, including websites for American-owned Cable News Network (CNN) and the United States Embassy in Harare, which it claims have launched a cyber war to promote a regime change agenda against President Robert Mugabe’s government, the Zimbabwe Independent can reveal.It was not immediately apparent what measures, if any, the party can take against offending websites. One of the downloads seen by this paper was extracted from ZimUpdate Forums and shows a reader on the forum giving seven reasons why he thinks Mugabe does not want to step down. “Is it because he is afraid of being hanged just like Saddam (Hussein); or extradited just like Charles Taylor,” the reader asks. “Is it because he is afraid that the party will disintegrate? Is it because he is intoxicated with power? It is because he does not trust anyone in Zanu?” The reader added that Mugabe was afraid of the Americans and British
Zanu PF secretary for science and technology, Olivia Muchena, presented a report on the role and importance of information and communication technologies (ICTs) on July 26, arguing that the ruling party had no choice but to embrace ICTs to remain “politically relevant”. “Comrades, we are all aware that Zanu PF is at war from within and outside our borders,” said the report. “Contrary to the gun battles we are accustomed to, we now have cyber-warfares fought from one’s comfort zone, be it bedroom, office, swimming pool, etc but with deadly effects.”
Muchena said websites, the Internet and cellphones had become daily weapons used to fight Zanu PF, adding that ICTs were now vogue platforms for high-tech espionage –hardware, software and infrastructure that peddles “virulent propaganda” to delegitimise “our just struggle against Anglo-Saxons”.
I think the Demo that should take place is one on Zimbabwe!!!! People should demostrate and Tell Mugabe to step down !!!!