MEDIA RELEASE
Cheryllyn Dudley, MP and Whip
1 June 2013
ACDP QUESTIONS SA MONEY FOR ZIM ELECTIONS -SAYS ELECTION OBSERVERS, AT THE VERY LEAST, SHOULD BE CONDITION ATTACHED
* apart from the success of the new constitution, signed by the President on 22 May, many of the reforms outlined in the GPA have not been implemented over the last five years.
* recognises fears that ZANU-PF will once again use the security forces to intimidate voters
------------------------------- ------------------------------------
ACDP MP Cheryllyn Dudley said in the International Relations and Co-operation Budget Speech this week:
"The ACDP welcomes the change in trend from previous years when appropriations were decreasing - to the current state of affairs where 2 budgets in a row have increased - R5.3 billion in 2012/13 – with another increase to R5.5 billion on the cards for 2013/14. We do however note thatspending is expected to increase to R6.2 billion due to inflation and lease commitments so - how exactly is this going to work?
In 2012/13, SA maintained 47 diplomatic missions in Africa – with more in the pipeline! We acknowledge that a greater productive and export capacity and global competiveness across the region needs to be built but how sustainable all these missions are, is seriously questionable. The ACDP supports the concept of developmental integration in Southern Africa which combines trade integration, infrastructure development and sector policy coordination.
Minister Gordhan put it this way: Africa is our home, and it is our future. It is a market of over one billion people and it is growing rapidly...Africa now accounts for about 18 per cent of our total exports, and nearly a quarter of our manufactured exports...over the past five years, the South African Reserve Bank has approved nearly 1 000 large investments into 36 African countries...these are mutually beneficial, as they support development in those countries and generate tax revenue, dividends and jobs – abroad and in South Africa.
It also looks like - as part of its long-term strategy to help secure energy supply for South Africa and the region - Eskom is considering options for investment in several regional generation and transmission projects.
I however, have decided to talk about Zimbabwe simply because at this point in time their lack of budget and our SA budget seem to be inextricably linked – I also suspect they will impact to a fair degree on this budget – which by the way - the ACDP will support.
Well surprise surprise – it does seem as if President Mugabe is actually pushing for funding for the up-coming election –funding with as few strings as possible of course!
Hon Minister, does the government-owned Herald newspaper in Zimbabwe's have its facts straight in saying that South African President Jacob Zuma has proposed to SADC leaders - at a meeting on the sidelines of the just-ended African Union summit - that they should help fund Zimbabwe's elections? Zimbabwe needs $132-million –I was going to exclaim – Zuma for President – but then I realised he already is! That was supposed to be funny!!
Prime Minister and Opposition Leader Morgan Tsvangirai, we understand, is keen to attach the money to the deployment of election observers for obvious reasons including fears that ZANU-PF will once again use the security forces to intimidate voters. The violence that accompanied the referendum in 2000 and the election in 2008 drove hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans across our borders – resulting in enormous challenges here – I’m thinking election observers at the very least must be attached to that money!
SADC leaders, we are told have promised to hold a special summit to examine how they will help with election funding – as officials from South Africa and the SADC regional bloc of 15 states were not available for comment – can you confirm any of this Hon Minister?
The ACDP chooses to remain hopeful in the aftermath of the rare unity displayed this year, by 89 year old President Mugabe who has been in power since 1980 - and his long-time rival Morgan Tsvangirai - in pushing through a new constitution – one which clips the powers of the president and imposes a two-term limit – and while it does not apply retroactively and Mugabe technically could be in power till he is 99 – a huge achievement!
The situation ahead of the 2013 elections is also vastly different from what it was in 2008, when the opposition MDC-T’s support base was at its highest and ZANU-PF faced a massive internal crisis of legitimacy, both within the state and the party. Since then a series of opinion polls have consistently reported diminishing support for the MDC-T, and a surprising resurgence for ZANU-PF. Now I am not saying I love the idea of a ZANU-PF resurgence – I am just considering that a greater confidence on ZANU-PF’s part may ease some of the tension and backlash that tormented Zimbabweans previously.
We note efforts by the EU, Western countries, the US ambassador to Zimbabwe which seem to indicate a willingness for relationships with Zimbabwe to be restored. But while SADC through President Zuma, the bloc’s appointed mediator in the Zimbabwe crisis, has committed to ensuring the full implementation of the reforms agreed to in the GPA - apart from the success of the new constitution, signed by the President on 22 May, many of the reforms outlined in the GPA have not been implemented over the last five years.
Zimbabwe's parliament will be dissolved on June 29 and the country has up to four months to hold the election."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For further information contact:
Cheryllyn Dudley, MP and Whip
ACDP Parliament
No comments:
Post a Comment