Address By The Hon. Minister Of Foreign Affairs, CDE. Simbarashe S Mumbengegwi To Western Diplomats On 19 March 2007

As is now well known, the MDC has since 2006 been planning a campaign of violence and lawlessness. As part of its preparations for this campaign of violence, the MDC set up a countrywide network of so-called Democratic Resistance Committees (DRCs), whose sole objective is to attack law enforcement authorities to destabilise and render the country ungovernable. The so-called DRC's have been armed with an array of dangerous weapons as well as tear gas for use in their war against not only law enforcement authorities but also against law loving citizens.

At the political level, the leaders of the two factions of the MDC, announced that their respective factions would no longer respect the rule of law, but would immediately embark on a campaign to disregard and defy the law. Interestingly, both leaders of the MDC chose the platform of the international media to make these seditious pronouncements. The message was clearly not intended for their dwindling supporters here in Zimbabwe but for some of the western capitals, who have long been openly calling upon the opposition to confront the government in the streets since they had failed to dislodge the ruling party from power by legal and constitutional means. Contrary to the propaganda often peddled that the government is repressive and intolerant, no action was taken against the MDC leaders for these subversive pronouncements, making Zimbabwe the only country in the world where leaders of the opposition can go about inciting insurrection against the government and still be allowed to walk freely.

Following this incitement to violence by their leaders, the MDC embarked on a series of events building up to the orgy of violence we witnessed on 11 March 2007, which was planned and orchestrated to coincide with the current session of the Human Rights Council being held in Geneva. Despite their stated and well-known position that they will not abide by the law when it comes to the holding of public meetings, the MDC and their other formations in January and February 2007 applied for permission to hold several rallies in terms of the law. Contrary to the allegations by the MDC and its external handlers that the government does not allow the opposition to hold rallies to deny them democratic space, the regulating authorities granted permission for the MDC to hold the rallies it had applied for. The MDC went on to use these rallies to incite its supporters to engage in violence and defy the law. I will cite just a few of these rallies.

•  On 28 January 2007, Morgan Tsvangirai addressed a properly authorized rally attended by about 600 people in Glen View here in Harare where he urged his supporters to brace themselves for mass action against the government in 2007, as this was the route through which his party would come to power.

•  On 31 January 2007, the National Constitutional Assembly, which collaborates closely with the MDC, held an authorized meeting at City Hall in Bulawayo. Addressing the meeting, the NCA's leader, Lovemore Madhuku, said he would go around the country mobilizing people to fight until Zimbabwe became ungovernable, thereby forcing ZANU (PF) to submit to the drafting of a new Constitution.

•  On 3 February 2007, the MDC MP for Glen View, Paul Madzore addressed an authorised rally at Matongo Shopping Centre in Mabvuku here in Harare and repeated the call for mass action.

•  On 4 February 2007, the MDC held an authorised rally in Mufakose here in Harare attended by about 700 people. The rally was addressed by the top leaders of the MDC. The main message from all the speakers was that 2007 will be the year to topple President Mugabe from power and that the youth would play the leading role. It is worth noting that there are no elections scheduled for 2007.

•  On 6 February 2007, the NCA held an authorised rally at Mabutweni Community Hall in Bulawayo, which was addressed by the NCA Southern Region Organising Secretary Felix Mafa, who said the easiest way to press for a new Constitution was to block commuter omnibuses and delivery vehicles from operating.

•  On 11 February 2007 the MDC held a properly cleared rally in Kambuzuma. However, the rally degenerated into an orgy of violence when a group of about 150 MDC youths went and looted goods from a shop owned by a ZANU (PF) candidate in the 2005 Parliamentary Elections.

•  In a series of other meetings held across the country by the MDC from the beginning of February the political message by the opposition became increasingly inflammatory thus heightening tensions in a number of areas in Harare. Alleging falsely that President Mugabe wanted to unconstitutionally extend his mandate to rule to 2010, the MDC leaders called for a political rally on 18 February 2007 in Harare. Again, the aspect of violence as an instrument to achieve power featured prominently. Faced with the prospect of a violent rally on 18 February in Highfield as had happened in Kambuzuma a week earlier, police invoked the provisions of the law and asked the MDC to defer the rally.

•  As if to confirm the police's fears, MDC supporters unleashed an orgy of violence when the rally failed to materialise. Prior to this, on 16 February a group of about 100 MDC supporters marched through the city centre in Harare. In the process, they looted shops, attacked a police post in First Street and assaulted four police officers, one of whom was stabbed with a knife. About the same time on 15 February, the MDC distributed fliers in Bulawayo with messages such as "We Choose to Defy and Confront; Defiance Campaign". On 17 February the MDC pro-Senate faction leader Arthur Mutambara held what he called "The Defiance Campaign Launch" in Bulawayo. The Mutambara launch was also followed by an orgy of violence and a number of people were arrested in connection with the violence.

•  During the violence on 18 February, several shops and flea markets were looted and property stolen and a Barclays Bank automated teller machine was destroyed. Other crimes committed on the day included the burning and stoning of 29 private vehicles, destruction of 9 commuter omnibuses and an inter-city bus as well as kidnappings and abductions of private citizens. Roads were also barricaded.

•  This period of violence greatly heightened tensions in some areas of Harare. It was in this context that the MDC called for another MDC Defiance Campaign Rally on 11 March 2007. Because political rallies had been suspended by the police in accordance with the law, the MDC, conniving with its other sister formations, decided to characterise the Defiance Campaign Rally as a prayer meeting under the auspices of the Save Zimbabwe Campaign, a front organisation of the MDC. The fliers that had been distributed about the meeting were all MDC fliers and clearly showed that this was to be a political rally. There was even a banner at the MDC headquarters at Harvest House advertising the rally. All the speakers listed on the fliers were MDC leaders; none of the speakers was a recognised member of the clergy. The police warned the MDC and their sister formations as well as the general public through the press not to go ahead with the rally since rallies had been suspended in terms of the law. The MDC leaders ignored the warnings and the provisions of the law and went to the rally area on 11 March to incite their supporters to defy the law. In anticipation of violence, the police had deployed in the area to maintain law and order. On the actual day, 11 March, a group of over 200 MDC youths, using children as shields, attacked a police checkpoint manned by 25 police officers. The attackers used a variety of weapons including petrol bombs and tear gas, whose origins are not yet known. The police used maximum restraint and did not react but decided to withdraw. However, some of their members were seized and severely assaulted by the MDC thugs. The same gang went to Zindoga Shopping Centre in Waterfalls, where they assaulted innocent members of the public, looted and burnt an army truck. They also stopped a bus carrying mourners, assaulted the occupants and stole mobile phones and cash before vandalising the bus.

•  In another incident at Gazaland Shopping Centre in Highfield, a group of MDC youths attacked a police checkpoint. The police details manning the checkpoint were overwhelmed and severely assaulted by the MDC thugs. Armed reinforcements were sent to rescue the police details that were under attack. Police fired 18 warning shots but the MDC thugs continued their attack, forcing the police to shoot at the ringleader in self defence.

•  Meanwhile, some of the MDC leaders, including Arthur Mutambara, had been arrested earlier for inciting and instigating violence.

•  Morgan Tsvangirai, and Lovemore Madhuku, who had been driving around Highfield suburb instigating his supporters on hearing that Mutambara had been arrested decided that they too should directly court arrest.

•  Following the arrest of their leaders for inciting violence on 11 March 2007, the MDC has since engaged in further acts of violence. In two incidents, which clearly show that the MDC has declared war on law enforcement authorities, MDC thugs petrol-bombed police stations in Gweru and Marimba Park in Harare. In the first incident, 18 MDC youths threw two petrol bombs at nine police officers at Nehanda Police base who were awaiting deployment. Fortunately, no one was injured in this attack. In the other incident, 14 MDC youths cut a security fence at Marimba Police camp to gain entry into the camp just after midnight and threw petrol bombs and tear gas canisters at three houses. Two officers who were sleeping sustained serious burns to the face and body. A third officer inhaled tear gas and collapsed. She only regained consciousness at the hospital.

The activities leading to the events of 11 March clearly show that the MDC and its partners were not exercising their right to peaceful assembly as provided for in the Constitution but were bent on creating mayhem and rendering the country ungovernable in order to further the agenda of their external handlers of illegal regime change.

Despite the mayhem caused by the violence instigated by Tsvangirai, Mutambara and Madhuku, some western diplomats have shown feverish support for the opposition leaders after they were arrested in connection with the violence. Ambassadors from eight western countries visited the police stations where some MDC faction leaders were being held and frantically demanded to be given immediate access to the faction leaders. They also had the nerve to instruct the police to immediately release the MDC leaders and bring them before the courts. Let me remind you once again that Zimbabwe is a sovereign independent state that brooks no interference in its internal affairs from any foreign source, let alone from Ambassadors accredited to Zimbabwe. Let me also repeat that all diplomats are required to make any request through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The morbid interest shown by the same Ambassadors, this time joined by one or two other Ambassadors, as they thronged the Rotten Row Magistrates Court where the instigators and perpetrators of violence were due to appear on 13 th March 2007 suggested complicity. There was also the spectacle where these same Ambassadors were observed falling over each other in their frantic efforts to take "food and water" to the hospital ostensibly on humanitarian grounds. The hospital has food. Their families have food. Water is available. So, one is compelled to ask, what "food" and what "water" were whole Ambassadors taking to the hospital? These were clearly politically motivated moves to generate cheap propaganda on the one hand and unwarranted political interference in Zimbabwe's internal political affairs. Let me remind you that not so long ago we had a national disaster here in Harare at a Road/Rail level crossing killing nearly 40 people and leaving many more in hospital. Let me now ask you, how many of these Ambassadors or even their 3 rd secretaries took food and water to the hospital? The answer as you all know is -none of them even thought of it. The complicity in the orgy of violence by these same Ambassadors is that none of them has condemned this orchestrated violence by the MDC factions, nor have they expressed any sympathy for the police officers who were brutally assaulted by MDC thugs as they exercised maximum restraint as they undertook their legal and constitutional responsibility to maintain law and order.

The police officers sustained serious injuries and are hospitalised. There are also the three women Police officers who were petrol-bombed and are in hospital fighting for their lives. There has been no word of condemnation for these acts of terrorism. There has been no word of sympathy from these Ambassadors, nor have they offered them any food or water. Surely shouldn't these self-appointed guardians of democracy, good governance and the rule of law be taking the lead in directing the MDC factions to pursue the democratic and lawful route to power. But instead they chose to condone and support the MDC factions in planning and executing these acts of violence and lawlessness.

As we all know, the relevant protocols governing diplomatic relations do not allow interference in the domestic affairs of the state to which you are accredited. These Ambassadors must therefore desist from their interference in Zimbabwe's domestic affairs. We will not tolerate any interference in our affairs. These Ambassadors will not be allowed to continue to abuse our hospitality under diplomatic cover. Zimbabwe's tolerance is being stretched to the limit. There is a limit to our tolerance. You must all scrupulously observe the relevant provisions of the Vienna Convention governing the conduct of diplomatic relations. Any failure to do so will leave us with no option but to invoke the relevant conventions so as to bring to an end any interference in our domestic affairs. Zimbabwe is an independent and sovereign country, with a vibrant democracy, judiciary, and police force that is committed to its constitutional duty to protect its citizens and to maintain law and order. We therefore do not require any instructions or supervision from our former colonisers and their allies.

Let me remind you again that Zimbabwe is a country whose independence did not come on a platter - we had to fight for it through a protracted armed struggle. Over 50 000 people lost their lives for this country to be free and independent. Zimbabwe therefore jealously guards her hard won sovereignty and independence. Therefore any attempts to re-colonise the country and rule it by proxy will be unflinchingly resisted by all patriotic Zimbabweans.