MDC: Zim needs rich friends

2005-03-27 17:20

Harare - Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Sunday addressed thousands of supporters in a key Harare township pledging to create jobs and feed millions facing starvation while "Mugabe is fighting Blair" ahead of parliamentary elections on Thursday.

"When they shout about (British Prime Minister Tony) Blair and (US President George W) Bush, we are busy planning how to create jobs and bring you food," said Tsvangirai, the leader of the MDC.

President Robert Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF has declared the upcoming elections "the anti-Blair vote".

The octogenarian leader and his ruling party have used every platform during the election campaign to castigate Blair, whom Mugabe accuses of harbouring ambitions to recolonise Zimbabwe.

Tsvangirai told about 15 000 supporters in Highfields township - home to leaders of Zimbabwe's black nationalist movement in the 1960s: "We have a programme to resolve the national crisis if you give us the mandate."

Zimbabwe has one of the world's highest unemployment rates pegged at 70% while millions face starvation amid critical grain shortages blamed partly on controversial land reforms which have compromised food production.

Tsvangirai who is confident his party will win the election said the MDC would repeal Zimbabwe's repressive security laws and block a bill restricting the activities of non-governmental organisations passed late last year.

"We are not just saying we want to remove Mugabe and Zanu-PF from power," Tsvangirai said.

"We have an economic recovery programme. For us to revive the economy we need friends from the international community... rich friends who will help us ... not just poor friends."

Tsvangirai said an MDC government will restore the rule of law and bring people who committed politically-motivated crimes in the last two elections to the courts.

The Thursday elections will be closely watched to gauge Zimbabwe's commitment to adhering to Southern African Development Community (SADC) principles on the conduct of democratic elections."

- AFP