Harare International Conference Centre, 17 February 2010

The Honourable Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Amai Joice Mujuru, The Honourable Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Cde J Nkomo, The Honourable Deputy Prime Minister of Republic of Zimbabwe, Professor Arthur Mutambara, Honourable Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Eng Walter Mzembi, Honourable Ministers from Africa, Honourable Members of the Senate and Parliament, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, The Special Advisor to the United Nation World Tourism Organisation Secretary General, Prof Geoffrey Lipman, The Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Africa Investor, Mr Hurbert Danso, Senior Government Officials,The Chairman of the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority and other ZTA Board Members, The Chief Executive of the Zimbabwe Tourisim Authority, Mr Karikoga Kaseke and your Management Team, The President of the Zimbabwe Council for Tourism, Mr. Emmanuel Fundira, Captains of Business and Industry, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I wish to thank the organisers of this conference and you, the participants, who have attended this conference in the spirit of partnership to work with us in developing our great country.

Over the past two days you have been meeting to explore investment and business opportunities and examine how we can enhance the image of Africa as a vibrant investment destination.

As the curtain comes down on the Pan African Tourism Investment and the First International Conference on Investment Oppportunities in Toursim and Related sectors in Zimbabwe, I am encouraged by the appetite and desire by the delegates to realise the transformation of African's economic fortunes for the betterment of her economy and people.

I believe that for the majority of us, both the Minister's Summit and the Conference were eye openers.  I am informed that the Summit, which was held together with the Conference on Zimbabwe, is being run for the fifth time and is poised to grow into an internationally acclaimed tourism investment platform.

As destination Zimbabwe, we are excited to note that the Summit and the Conference have attracted high level delegates from the different parts of Africa and beyond.

I am particularly proud, that in your time here, you have witnessed the consultation, consensus and dialogue that forms the basis of this inclusive Government. When you arrived, there was a great deal of uncertainty around Zimbabwe's suitability as a viable investment destination due to the proposed indigenisation regulations.

As you may now be aware, the Minister of Indigenisation, Youth Development and Empowerment and the Minister of Economic Planning and Investment have heard the concerns expressed by all stakeholders and have now agreed to return to the drawing board to ensure that any future such policies are based on international best practices and are designed to promote growth, development and empowerment in Zimbabwe.

True empowerment can only come about through formulation of a shared vision amongst all sectors of our society and our economy. Empowerment that comes through growth promotion and that is incentive based will ensure sustainability, inclusivity and viability.

It is the goal of my Government to ensure that our policies are designed to uplift the poor and marginalized through partnerships with business and investment that are designed to create and exploit new opportunities to benefit Zimbabweans and investors alike to the benefit of our entre continent.

Support education, health

Following a countrywide tour of education and health facilities, Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe (DPM) highlights the deterioration of the two sectors in this interview. She also talks about restrictive measures and reform of the security forces.

Q: You went around the country looking at the health and education institutions; please tell us what you saw?

DPM: My office is responsible for the social and rights sector and my main objective of the tour was to make a general assessment of what is happening in the education and health sectors. What I can say is that the situation out there is not looking good. The situation is dire and desperate. Education and health are supposed to be the backbone of our future leaders. These sectors are indicators of how the economy is performing. Without health and education you cannot say you have an economy. Literally, everything in those hospitals is not working. There are no blankets. No food. Stoves are not working. You go to a big hospital like the one in Victoria Falls, a resort area and you find that almost everything there is not working. If tourists were to come and were to be involved in a road traffic accident, how would you attend to them? They would have to be driven to Bulawayo about 500km away and they get to Mpilo Hospital which has almost similar appalling conditions. It is high time these hospitals start working again. That applies to our schools as well. Zimbabwe used to have the highest literacy rate in Africa.

But go to our schools right now, kids sit on the floor, no desks, no chairs, and no books. Nothing! The situation is so desperate and it is important that these two sectors are attended to as a matter of urgency.

MDC Pressroom - Ms Catherine Mabhiza, the mother of the Deputy Prime Minister and MDC Vice President, Hon. Thokozani Khupe died on 26 March at Arcadia Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa where she had gone for treatment following a fatal car accident along the Harare-Bulawayo Road on 10 February, 2009, which killed the Vice President’s aide, Timond Dube.

 Ms Mabhiza sustained head injuries in the accident. They had been driving to attend her daughter’s Inauguration in Harare.
 Ms. Mabhiza was buried in Bulawayo on Sunday. Prime Minister Tsvangirai attended the service along with hundreds of other mourners who attended the funeral and burial.

Understanding and Embracing the New Dispensation in Zimbabwe

25 March 2009 

Mr. Speaker, Sir, Cabinet Ministers, Honorable members of Parliament I rise to make my maiden speech in this august house. We are at a stage in our country where we are building bridges. We are at that juncture where we have found each other. We have come together; we must stay together, work together and deliver on the promise of our revolution. This is national interest time. We have embarked on an irreversible process of inclusiveness with the clear understanding that the GPA of 15^th September 2008 is the only workable arrangement in our country. There is unprecedented unanimity among our citizens on this position. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this was clearly amplified by the vote in this august house for Constitutional Amendment no. 19, where 184 out 184 members endorsed it, and the 72 out of 72 Senators did the same. As I present my views, let me emphasize that my intention is to build, and not to destroy; unify, and not disunite. However, I will seek to challenge us as Zimbabweans by speaking frankly on the matters we are facing. Is it not that they say a problem realized is half solved? Moreover this august house is the distinguished arena of both rational disputation and robust democratic dialogue. Consequently, I will be remiss in the discharge of my duties if I did not deliver a no-holds-barred maiden speech. There will be no prisoners taken today.

The First Lady, Grace Mugabe, Vice President Mujuru, Mothers, Sisters, Daughters;

Thank you for the honour of addressing you today at such an historic time in our country’s history.  This new transitional, inclusive government is pregnant with hope and promise and we must act as the midwives to ensure that this hope and promise gives birth to a new nation and a new dispensation for all the women of our country.

For this reason I am pleased to the share this stage with the First Lady and Vice President, as it is we that must provide the leadership by undertaking specific actions that will lead to a new political future for our country as a whole and our women in particular. Let us remember that our children will do as we do and not as we say, therefore our actions are more important than our words.

In this, I would like to acknowledge the work done by Vice President Mujuru who has already begun to build bridges and promote understanding between the women of the MDC and those of Zanu PF.

The Short Term Economic Recovery Programme which was launched today is the most solid evidence to date that the signatories to the Global Political Agreement are able to work together to develop policies designed to help all Zimbabweans to rebuild our nation.

The true test now lies before us to implement this Plan, for it is only through its implementation that we can have a definitive, positive impact on the people’s lives.

In this, all of us have a role to play. Cabinet must approve a legislative agenda that supports the implementation of STERP and the Ministers in turn must ensure that their ministries take a lead in this and in the practical policy directives it contains.

Similarly, the Speaker and Members of Parliament must drive this legislative agenda through parliament in the shortest possible time. (Document available in Download section).