STATEMENT TO LAUNCH THE 2008 ELECTION CAMPAIGN

SIMBA MAKONI – PRESIDENT 2008

HARARE, 13^TH FEBRUARY 2008

Salutations

A week and a half ago, I offered myself to the People of Zimbabwe, to serve them in the capacity of President of the Republic.

Many people have asked, and others may still ask, `who is Simba Makoni’? I am of very simple and humble rural origins. I became involved in public affairs at a tender age. I, therefore, describe myself as an activist; at school, at university, as a party functionary and then chief representative of the Liberation Movement, and in the first post-independence government, and in the region and internationally.

Last Tuesday, I explained why I am offering myself, and today, I re-affirm that position, and on Friday 15^th February 2008, will duly submit my nomination papers. I take this opportunity to thank all those who agreed to append their signatures to my nomination papers.

Both last Tuesday and Thursday, I appealed to the people of Zimbabwe to go and register as voters, and verify or confirm that they are on the voters’ rolls. I wish to thank the people for their tremendous response to this appeal. Reports from all over the country indicate that attendances at voter registration centres have increased more than ten fold, since last Tuesday.

Today, I announce the elements of my election manifesto. I will explain what I stand for, my proposition to the people of Zimbabwe. It is only elements, because we are still working to produce the full Manifesto.

Before presenting the elements, let me state the following:

• I am not motivated by negatives. I am NOT AGAINST President Mugabe or ZANU (PF), Mr Arthur Mutambara, Mr Morgan Tsvangirai or the MDCs, but I am FOR the people.

• I will not promise TO DO THIS, OR GIVE THIS to the people. Instead, I will promise to FACILITATE AND ENABLE the people to do things for themselves, for their families, for their businesses, for their communities, and indeed, for their country.

• I promise that we will remove the impediments that inhibit the people of Zimbabwe from doing things for themselves.

• We will facilitate that the people remove themselves from the bondage of dependence, expunge the mentality and reality of Dai Hurumende yandipawo (ukuti ngabe uhulumende uyasipa lokhu).

• We offer the people genuine empowerment, - to be themselves again. Our proposition is to give Zimbabwe and its resources back to its people; to make the people once again masters of their today, and their destiny.

Elements of Our Manifesto

Our Manifesto begins by characterizing the Zimbabwe of Today. It is a nation full of fear, a nation in deep stress, a tense and polarized nation. A nation also characterised by disease and extreme poverty.

On the background of this characterization, we recognize the immense natural, physical and human resources of this country. We salute the resilience and ingenuity of the people, to always be able to make a plan. We then offer the way or ways towards the Zimbabwe We Must Create. Our main proposition is National Re-Engagement. We believe that the hardships afflicting the people, including the damage to our physical assets, can be eradicated, once the nation finds itself again, reconciles with itself, and begins to work together again as one. We recognise that the problems confronting us are serious. However, we believe that solving these problems will not be intractable, once we remove the barriers and impediments that bar the expression and pursuit of our common interests and common purpose; the cohesion and cooperation of our nation; especially the common interests, common purpose, cohesion and cooperation between the people and their government and other state organs.

Emblem

Our emblem represents hope, - hope for regeneration and renewal of the Zimbabwean spirit, freshness, energy and vibrancy. Mavambo eupenyu hutsva (Ukuqala impilo entsha).

Candidates

I invite the many Zimbabweans who share the vision I have summarized above, and who, like me, have a calling to honestly serve our nation, either in local authorities or in the national legislature, to join me and stand as independent candidates, under our banner. I particularly invite those compatriots who had been pushed into despair and despondency, but have the qualities of leadership, to please enter the race. I also invite those in ZANU (PF) who fell victim to the primaries fiasco, and even those who came through the fiasco, and share our yearning for RENEWAL, to contest the election as independent candidates, under our banner.

THE TIME FOR DECISION HAS COME. JUMP OFF THE FENCE, CLIMB OUT OF THE FALSE COMFORT ZONES.

Let me refer here to a couple of fundamental issues facing our nation.

Land

The land is a strategic national resource. But let me also say that our land is not unique, it is not different from the land of any other country. Our land is not an ornament for beautification. Our land is not a fetish for reverence.

The land is a resource for empowerment; an asset for income generation and eradication of poverty, it is a tool for economic and social development.

Let me therefore, affirm that Land Reform is a necessity. But I wish to emphasise here that land acquisition and re-distribution, by themselves, do not make up for land or agrarian reform. Acquisition and redistribution need to be undertaken in an equitable, transparent and fair manner.

Land reform is not justified by the need to redress the wrongs of the colonial era alone. We will pursue land reform in order to anchor our economic and social renewal, and advancement. Land reform needs to be a tool for rural development, incorporating the Communal Areas.

Zimbabweans in the Diaspora

I wish to address myself to our compatriots outside the country. First, I thank them for the support they have extended to us already. While we welcome such support, we regret that they have been compelled to participate in this manner, from so far away. We would have been happier had they been here in situ, with all of us. However, we understand and accept that this situation has been imposed on them by the `Zimbabwe of Today’.

That notwithstanding, we recognize the important role they are already playing, and will play in future, after this election. For now, we implore them to intensify their efforts at:

• encouraging their relations here to register as voters, and then to go out in their numbers on election day;

• inputting ideas into our campaign; and,

• disseminating our messages.

Your immense impact is already being felt.

The campaign has begun here in earnest. I am deeply grateful to all the colleagues who have walked this journey with me, so far. I also thank those many of you who joined us since I announced my candidacy last week, and those many more who are coming forward to join us. Come one come all, to join this soon-to-be-happy again family.

Let’s Embrace Each Other

Even though we expect a landslide victory, we undertake here to the people of Zimbabwe, that we will set up a national authority, to harness representatives of all the key national constituencies; to haul our country out of crisis.

Let us make fiesta out of the election campaign. Let it be colourful, joyous and tranquil.

Here, I Join President Mugabe, and Messers Mutambara and Tsvangirai, in appealing for a peaceful and clean election campaign. Let this not be a contest of fists, stones, knives and guns, but one of ideas, vision and commitment. No one is worth dying for, NOT President Mugabe, NOT Mr Arthur Mutambara, NOT Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, certainly NOT Simba Makoni.

No one is worth killing for either; - again, NOT President Mugabe, NOT Mr Arthur Mutambara, NOT Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, certainly NOT Simba Makoni.

I repeat what I said last Tuesday. ZIMBABWE, I HUMBLY PLACE MYSELF AT YOUR SERVICE, AND I ALSO PLACE MYSELF IN YOUR HANDS.

I THANK YOU