Save Zimbabwe Campaign Press Statement
Presented at Harare Monomutapa Hotel on 27/09/2006

We have called this press conference to introduce to you and the public, the Save Zimbabwe Campaign. It is our hope and prayer that this introduction will clear the air as to who we are, what we are about and where we hope to go.

We feel this is now necessary because there seem to be all kinds of misconceptions about us out there. Some of them are out of ignorance but some of them are out of demonic mischief.

The Save Zimbabwe Campaign is the direct outcome of the Save Zimbabwe Convention held at the Rainbow Towers Gardens on the 29th of July 2006. It grew out of the deliberations of 500 patriotic Zimbabweans from all corners of the country, representing 34 civic society organizations, all the opposition political parties and churches. This convention was convened and chaired by the Zimbabwe Christian Alliance (CA). All political parties were invited but ZANU PF did not attend.

The Christian Alliance is an organized network of Zimbabwe Christian leaders and organization who felt called by God to be instrumental in resolving the crisis in the country peacefully and permanently so that Zimbabweans can once again live in peace and prosperity as God intended them to.

Christian Alliance is a non-partisan and non-sectarian organization. It has no intention to contest or delegate power but is only a facilitator and coordinator of the democratic forces advocating for a better life for Zimbabweans. It gets its mandate from scriptures such as ''Psalm 82: 1-4 '', ‘God presides in the great assembly. He gives judgment among the gods. How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked? Defend the cause of weak and fatherless, maintain the rights of the weak and oppressed, Rescue the weak and needy, and Deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”

The Christian Alliance convened the Convention because it was convinced that the social, economic and political crisis in Zimbabwe is an internal problem that can only be solved by Zimbabweans themselves through dialogue.

At the end of the convention delegates resolved to create a united platform for democratic forces to engage in a peaceful fight for democracy in Zimbabwe. To reinforce this unity the convention resolved to bring together civil society, churches, political parties and other democratic forces under a broad alliance which would act together and speak with one voice in a campaign to advocate for transformation in Zimbabwe as a matter of urgency. The convention asked the Christian Alliance to organize and co-ordinate the activities of this Broad Alliance.

This has now been done and the outcome is what is now called the Save Zimbabwe Campaign. It is spearheaded by a Taskforce chosen by the convention participants and chaired by the Christian Alliance. It is neither a new political party nor a creation of Western imperialists as some suggest. These are just scape goats to dodge the problems they have caused. It is a mass movement of Zimbabweans who are saying, “Enough is enough”.

The campaign leadership therefore makes the following statements in regard to recent events. We totally condemn the statements made by President Robert Mugabe in the media in which he condones and celebrates the arrest, assaults and torture of workers who intended to march peacefully to express serious concerns on the deteriorating economic situation in Zimbabwe. The Save Zimbabwe Campaign regrets that the use of torture, banned and frowned upon by both local and international law, is condoned by the head of state, supposedly the custodian of Zimbabwe. His statements put in serious doubt his posturing at the National Day of prayer this year where he called for peace and dialogue and indeed dampens any efforts towards a negotiated settlement of Zimbabwean crisis. A leadership that condones the assault, torture and harassment of unarmed men and women, peacefully expressing bread and butter issues, does not deserve any respect and in fact has turned itself into an enemy of the people. Further to this we question the sincerity of moves by the government to set up a human rights commission in an environment where torture is celebrated by the head of state as a means of dealing with genuine social concerns.

We condemn the growing culture of impunity by the police force and other security agents in dealing with peaceful expressions of discontent with the manner in which Zimbabwe is being governed. We reiterate that the Zimbabwe constitution, even in its present flawed state, protects freedom of expression and association. We further condemn the use of repressive laws such as the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) to ban and restrict free expression. Workers’ rights in a democratic society are respected as human rights and the increasing violent approach by security agents to deal with peaceful expressions of discontent with the prevailing economic situation is not only deplorable but shows insensitivity to people’s concerns.

The Save Zimbabwe Campaign demands that the government investigates and prosecutes all those involved in the torture of ZCTU and NCA members. We also demand that the government desists now and in the future from any further action that violates citizen’s rights to freedom of expression in its various forms. We urge the government to take cognizant of the enormity of the economic and political crisis in Zimbabwe. We reiterate that no amount of violence against innocent civilians can resolve Zimbabwe economic and political problems and the exercise of power through violence is in fact a clear sign of failure and fear.