(NEWZIMBABWE) Full Text: Tsvangirai SADC press statement

Full Text: Tsvangirai SADC press statement
by Morgan Tsvangirai
09/09/2009 00:00:00

PRESS STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE MDC MORGAN TSVANGIRAI IN KINSHASA, DRC, ON TUESDAY 8, SEPTEMBER 2009:

Firstly, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to His Excellency President Kabila Kabange and the people of the DRC for the warm reception I received upon my arrival and the first class hospitality I continue to be favoured with.

I also wish to pay tribute to President Kabila Kabange for the self evident sterling efforts to rebuild his country following years of difficulty. People of the DRC, like the rest of their counterparts in Africa, deserve peace, development and the pursuit of their happiness and I am happy to say those are evidently foremost on President Kabila Kabange’s agenda.

I feel highly honoured to have attended the Opening Session of the 29th Summit of SADC and wish to thank the outgoing SADC Chairman, His Excellency President Jacob Zuma of the Republic of South Africa.

In particular I wish to thank President Zuma for the speedy familiarisation and energy with which he applied himself to the Zimbabwe issue so soon after taking office.

I also wish the incoming SADC Chairman, His Excellency President Joseph Kabila Kabange every success as he assumes the huge responsibility of steering this enormous organisation over the next year, together with the competing challenge of rebuilding this great country.

My tribute would be incomplete without saluting His Majesty King Mswati III for his excellent job as Chairman of the Organ Troika. The Organ Troika, over the year has had to deal with the difficult political situations concerning Lesotho, DRC, Madagascar and Zimbabwe.

I came here in my capacity as President of the Movement for Democratic Change and the issues we raise are a matter of public knowledge. SADC remains seized with the enormous responsibility of ensuring that the parties signatory to the Global Political Agreement (GPA) and the Inclusive Government move rapidly towards its full implementation.

I had the opportunity of briefing the outgoing chairman of SADC and indeed SADC is familiar with the concerns that we continue to have regarding outstanding issues in the GPA itself and the follow up needed on the resolutions of the extra ordinary summit of 26 and 27 January 2009. In particular I wish to point out SADC’s commitment on the review of the Inclusive Government.

Now that the SADC Troika is specifically vested with the matter of Zimbabwe it is my hope and belief that it will deal with all outstanding issues as a matter of urgency.

The legitimacy, credibility and indeed the existence of the Inclusive Government itself depends upon the expeditious resolution and enforcement of the agreement in full.

I have confidence that His Excellency President Guebuza of Mozambique, as the new head of the Organ Troika will be equal to the task.

At Monday’s opening ceremony the young girl singer said that there was nothing wrong with Africa but with us Africans. I hope SADC and the Organ Troika will prove her wrong.