THE MDC National Executive Committee met today on the 12th of October 2011 and resolved on the following;
1. Party Unity and Cohesion
1.1 Noting ironically that today is the 12th of October 2011 the very day that our party split 6 years ago, the National Executive restated the imperator of unity in the party, cohesiveness,, solidarity, camaraderie, respect and accountability to each other.
1.2 With regards to the recent WikiLeaks publications, the Party restates its resolution of the 10th of December 2010 and noted that the same were WikiLies, unsubstantiated hearsay and would not cause commotion or division in the Party.
1.3 Putting its faith in God, the Party restated its commitment to completing the struggle for democratic change in Zimbabwe through peaceful and non-violent means and in this regard will remain united and will continue to work with its friends and partners locally and abroad.
1.4 The Party acknowledges and expresses its indebtedness to the working people of Zimbabwe for their continued confidence in the same and guarantees to the same that in turn it will always remain grounded in the social democratic values of solidarity, justice, equality, transparency and humble and empathetic leadership.
2. Violence and continued harassment and arrest of members
2.1 The Party notes the increased levels of violence across the country and the activities of a rag-tag Zanu PF militia group known as Chipangano operating in Mbare and the city centre.
2.2 The Party further notes the issue of continued farm invasions, company invasions across the length and breathe of Zimbabwe.
2.3 The Party condemns the above actions and unequivocally calls upon Police Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri to take immediate action and to apply the law evenly and equally.
2.4 Furthermore, the Party notes the arrests of our Youth Assembly National Chairperson, Solomon Madzore and six others who include Lovemore Taruvinga, Phenias Nhatarikwa, Tungamirai Madzokere, Rebecca Mafukeni, Yvonne Musarurwa, Stanford Mangwiro, Lazarus Maengahama, and Stanford Maengahama.
2.5 In addition, the Party notes that between January and now 402 people have either been arrested, assaulted or severely harassed by Zanu PF and its complicity criminal justice system.
2.6 The Party therefore demands the immediate release of arrested cadres and in any event demands the expeditious due process with regards to those that have been arrested.
2.7 The Party notes with irony that while no stone has been left unturned with regards to the arrests and harassment of MDC activists including Solomon Madzore, the perpetrators of the June 2008 violence, never mind the perpetrators of Gukurahundi have not been prosecuted.
3. Libya and the Arab Springs
3.1 The Party notes with excitement the expression of the people’s will that has been expressed in the Arab world in particular, Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Libya and Syria.
3.2 The Party acknowledges that it is the democratic right of any citizen and people to lawfully and constitutionally choose a government of their choice and that this right is inalienable.
3.3 The Party therefore respects and acknowledges the right of all Arab people of expressing their democratic views and democratically choosing their own leaders.
3.4 In this regards, the Party joins the UN, African Union, South Africa, Rwanda, Botswana and other African countries who have recognised the National Transitional Council of Libya.
4. South Sudan and Zambia
4.1 The Party notes, acknowledges and hails the people of South Sudan for expressing their right to self determination through the referendum that was held in January and the inauguration of a new government on the 27th of May 2011.
4.2 The Party now therefore urges the international community to assist the new government in the major challenges of peace and nation building that confront the people of South Sudan.
4.3 The Party notes the largely peaceful and democratic election that was held in Zambia on the 23rd of September 2011.
4.4 We therefore congratulate President Michael Sata and the Patriotic Front for wining this election and equally we thank and President Banda and his party for accepting the people’s democratic and will of expression.
5. Nolbert Kunonga and Violence in the Anglican Church
5.1 The Party notes with regret the chaos and confusion being caused by the ungodly Nolbert Kunonga in the Anglican Church.
5.2 The Party further condemns Commissioner Chihuri and the Zimbabwe Republic Police of allowing the situation of pillage, looting and aggrandizement being perpetrated by Kunonga.
5.3 The Party therefore calls on the Government, the ZRP and Jomic to put order in the church and to protect peaceful Anglican communities in the country paying attention to Anglican schools that are being disturbed by Kunonga this time to exams.
5.4 The Party urges Noblert Kunonga to resign from the church, leave the Anglican Church alone and formerly join Zanu PF and seek a seat in the forthcoming elections.
6. Energy and Power Development
6.1 The Party notes the decay and shortage of power generation infrastructure due to long years of non-investment and neglect by the Zanu PF government.
6.2 The Party expresses its concern to the existing huge power cuts as a result of generational challenges.
6.3 The Party therefore urges the Ministry of Energy to bring-in PPP investors that will urgently work in new generational infrastructure at Hwange, Kariba, Sengwa and Batoka.
6.4 Further, the Party urges the Ministry of Energy and Power Development to create efficiency and demand side of electricity.
7. Jobs, Investment and Upliftment of the People
7.1 The Party notes the current chaotic and patronising indigenization programme being pursued by Zanu PF.
7.2 The Party notes that Zanu PF’s programme does not comply with its own laws and is based on patronage and clientelism, is not demand driven and in any event is based on a narrow model of transferring shares from white shareholders to a few black elite that can afford them and does not amount to genuine wealth creation and distribution.
7.3 The Party therefore restates that what is required is a sustainable programme of jobs, investment and upliftment (JIuP) (pronounced as jeep).
The key essential features of JIuP are as follows;
The immediate imperator of the Zimbabwean economy is to create decent jobs for all.
That every citizen should be an economic player in whatever way; employer, employee or advisor.
This includes the right to participate in the economy which is enshrined in the Constitution.
Citizens are entitled to the right to pursue wealth creation and enjoy prosperity. Again, this right should be enshrined in the Constitution.
In this regard FDI, local capital formation through savings and infrastructure will be critical.
The government must create the prerequisite business environment conducive to FDI, and capital formation. Macro-economic stability is therefore an essential component of any upliftment program
In respect to minerals, to the extent that they are finite they should benefit everyone and therefore there must be a new mining law that recognizes the greater sovereign right of the state.
In addition, a Sovereign Wealth Fund should be created, finances from proceeds so as to create a reserve for future generations.
That besides jobs, the programme must focus on developing and modernising the country’s infrastructure in areas such as energy, roads, ICT and in particular we must focus on rural development and liquidating of the dual enclave nature of the economy. The program must also put resources to education of the citizen as a primary pre-condition to upliftment.
Further, the above program must ensure the equal and effective part of women.
The above programme is decisively different from the current clientele and patronage matrix of indigenization that is not demand driven and is political which in any event is based on a narrow model of transferring shares from companies to a few black elite that can afford them and therefore does not amount to genuine wealth creation and distribution.
8. Government Support to Agriculture
8.1 The MDC recognises the existence of vulnerable farming groups in the country in particular communal farmers and therefore accepts that Government must support these vulnerable farmers.
8.2 However, the Party notes the skewed nature of distribution of inputs and the use of inputs and food as a campaign tool of Government.
8.3 The Party states that a comprehensive agricultural policy is required in Zimbabwe that should cover the following;
i. The immediate implementation of the Land Audit.
ii. The setting-up of an Independent Land Commission that will deal with allocative distributive matters.
iii. The immediate cessation of all farm invasions particularly the Conservancies that are now under threat.
iv. There must be security of tenure as a matter of urgency.
v. There must be restoration of a Land Market, without use or exchange value land will remain dead capital.
vi. There must be compensation to the former owners of commercial land in Zimbabwe.
vii. There must be clear and immediate legislation on maximum sizes of farms.
viii. There must be legislation confirming the principal of one family one farm in respect of all land that was subject to the land reform program.
ix. There must be creation of proper financing structures for agriculture that are primarily dependent on private capital, Banks and other farming interests
x. Pursuant to the above there must be restatement that the state cannot finance agriculture but may in certain circumstances provide subsidies
xi. Proper market mechanisms for agricultural commodities. Clearly a commodities exchange is required and in future a Grain Exchange, the current model where the GMB is used as a buyer of first resort is unworkable and unsustainable.
xii. The State cannot and should not fix pre-planting prices for any commodity. This creates distortions and causes an unsustainable burden on the State.
xiii. Massive investment in Research and Extension Services, particularly in light of global warming and climate change which has redesigned and reshaped the face of agriculture globally.
xiv. Equal treatment must be given to all forms of agriculture that is those that are producing grains and those in livestock.
xv. Automation and mechanization of agriculture, value addition to all agricultural commodities and agro-processing must be at the epicenter.
xvi. The State through triple (PPP) and (BOOTS) must develop supportive infrastructure that include energy, roads and water. Water and energy in particular are critical in liquidating rural poverty and the exploitation and under development of women.
xvii. In the absence of any contrary scientific research the State should carefully embrace GMO technology in agriculture.
9. SADC, the Roadmap and Elections in Zimbabwe
9.1 The Party notes and acknowledges the SADC resolutions in Livingstone, Sandton and Luanda respectively.
9.2 The Party expresses its indebtedness to all the SADC leaders, President Zuma and his Facilitation Team for agreeing on important resolutions and for remaining engaged with the crisis in Zimbabwe.
9.3 However, the Party notes the slow pace of movement and urges SADC to urgently appoint the three person committee to work with Jomic and also to ensure that dialogue on the roadmap is concluded after dealing with the deadlock issues of security sector realignment and staffing of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.
9.4 The Party expresses its disappointment with the slow and the non-implementation of the GPA, the post Maputo agreement and agreed portions of the roadmap and the Review Document and urges the urgent creation of an implementation and oversight mechanism, inside government and within SADC.
9.5 Noting the unilateral calls and declarations for an election in 2012, the Party restates that the date of the next election will only be determined after the fulfilment of all the condition precedence defined in the roadmap including;
i. The completion of the Constitution making process and the referendum
ii. The completion of the drafting of a new voters roll.
iii. The completion of media reform
iv. The completion of the legislative reform
v. The conclusion of outstanding issues at the dialogue table on security sector realignment and staffing of ZEC.
vi. The compliance by Zimbabwe of the SADC electoral guidelines on free and fair elections
vii. The putting in place of mechanisms to ensure that violence will not be a factor in the said election.
9.6 The Party notes that any election which does not meet the above conditions will be a sham election and the party will not have anything to do with a sham election.
For and on behalf of the people of Zimbabwe.
Committing our Party, our country and ourselves to God.
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