Calling for sanctions on Zimbabwe is un-MDC says Mwonzora

Mr. President, we want to dialogue on the re-engagement of Zimbabwe into the International Committee of Nations.  It is sensible that Zimbabwe be re-admitted into the Commonwealth.  It is sensible that Zimbabwe be an equal member of the international community but Zimbabwe has a responsibility for every movement, positive movement by the international community.  Zimbabwe must also move positively in instituting key, social, political and economic reforms.  We have to address the issue of de-industrialisation.  We have lost investment to neighbouring countries; Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa and Botswana.  We have lost investment.  We want that investment back.

Mr. President, Zimbabwe has a perennial problem of contested legitimacy.  We must find an answer to electoral disputes once and for all.  What is most important Mr. President, if you listened to the presentation in Victoria Falls of the Minister of Finance and the Governor of the Reserve Bank, there is a phenomenal contribution by the diaspora to the GDP of this country.  I am not so sure about the figure but I think it is over a billion, which is coming in this country from Zimbabweans in the diaspora.  So they are discharging their national responsibility to Zimbabwe.  Why should we have responsibilities and obligations without rights?

[Time limit]

HON. SEN. KOMICHI:  I move that the Hon. Senator’s time be extended by five minutes.

Motion put and agreed to.

HON. SEN. MWONZORA:  Thank you Mr. President.  Zimbabweans in the diaspora have the right to vote.  People from the Soviet Union vote in this country in Soviet elections.  People from Malawi vote in this country in elections in Malawi.  People from Mozambique vote in this country in elections in Mozambique.  Why should Zimbabwe be different?  We understand the argument that some Zimbabweans are not able to access the voters roll abroad.  Mr. President, that is why we are saying let us have these sanctions removed.  Let us refranchise the Zimbabweans in the diaspora.

Mr. President Sir, we need to dialogue seriously on war veterans.  Mr. President, war veterans do not belong to one person, one group or one party.  These are our war veterans.  Tongogara is mine too, Chitepo is mine too, Takawira is my hero too, Mbuya Nehanda is my heroine too.  In fact, she did not have a ZANU PF card.  The point Mr. President is that these heroes deserve our reverence together.  That is why we are saying that we need to review the conditions and pensions of the war veterans.  I am aware of war veterans getting as little as ZWL18, 000.  They board a bus from Mutoko to Harare and back and that money is finished. Why should we treat our veterans to that ignominy?  We must review favourably the conditions of the war veterans.  Some of them are over 60 years now and certain chronic diseases begin to come in.  They need medication and we must care.  When we take care of the war veterans, we are not re-inventing the wheel. In America, they have got a Veterans Act.  They take care of their war veterans.  When the British fought in Burma, the Rhodesian soldiers went to fight in Burma.  They returned and were given their pensions.  We need to review the pensions.

Many people complain that the traditional leaders are corrupt, they are being influenced and so on. However, let us look at the conditions of service of the traditional leaders.  The conditions of service are poor – [HON. SENATORS:  Hear, hear.] – As a result of those poor conditions, they are always subjected to temptation.  So, we want this country to make sure that the conditions of service of the traditional leaders are improved so that they dispense justice without fear or favour – [HON. SENATORS:  Hear, hear.] –

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