By Petronella Sibeene
WINDHOEK
Visiting Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa has called on SADC member States to rise and lend a helping hand to Zimbabwe, which “can be likened to a sinking titanic whose passengers are jumping out in a bid to save their lives” given its economic and political difficulties.
Refraining from naming Zimbabwe by name and rather referring to it as “one SADC country” in his speech, Mwanawasa said if all SADC member states have a common destiny, they should help the nationals of this country who due to economic difficulties are on a daily basis crossing their borders in search of a better life.
“The nationals of the said country are abandoning it in hundreds on a daily basis and crossing its borders in search of any means of survival in all neighbouring states or beyond,” he said.
Zambia, the President added, has so far been an advocate of quiet diplomacy and continues to believe in it although the twist in the troubled nation has necessitated the adoption of a new approach.
According to him, Zambia is inclined with other SADC member states to explore the possibility of engaging people of the troubled nation and the leadership of this distressed country in a more supportive manner.
The President also stated that his government excludes the direct or indirect involvement of any foreign state which is a non-SADC member in its quest to dialogue with its counterpart in that country.
“Zambia is convinced that the time has come for a fresh start in our relations with our common neighbour,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Mwanawasa also expressed concern over a lack of total peace on the continent, saying that it is ever afflicted by one conflict or another.
Varying conflict situations are prevailing in Chad, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, the Darfur region of the Sudan and Somalia.
Mwanawasa is also appalled by the large-scale degradation of the environment, the plunder of natural resources, abuse of human rights and the suffering and displacement of civilian populations that arise from these conflicts.
“Zambia and Namibia ought to continue joining continental and international initiatives aimed at restoring peace and stability in trouble-torn African countries,” he said.
He commended Namibia, Angola and Zimbabwe for rendering military assistance to the DRC during the 1998 – 2003 war.
Despite its vexing conflicts, however, the African continent is advancing.
According to the Zambian President, Africa is slowly consolidating peace, security and stability as well as harnessing its economic gains in its quest for sustainable development.
He applauded efforts by the African Union and other international communities to end conflicts and violations of human rights.
Beyond Africa, Mwanawasa called on protagonists to engage in genuine dialogue with a view to finding a lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
While war in Iraq was premised on the wrong assumption of the presence of weapons of mass destruction, the President also said the western allies responsible for this should find an appropriate quick solution.
The outlook of the international situation, Mwanawasa warned, is unpredictable to the extent that it compels developing countries to further deepen their cooperation with the ultimate view of realizing political and economic integration.
“We are bound to accelerate integration at the sub-regional and regional levels if we can do our utmost to strengthen our bilateral relations through the implementation of various programmes and projects,” he said.
Closer to home, the Zambian President commended Namibia for declaring a merciless war against corruption in the country.
“The most unappealing of all the challenges, in my opinion, is corruption. It robs the ordinary men and women of critical resources … corruption further erodes foreign investors’ confidence … above all it tramples upon democracy and good governance. Corruption should be fought with tenacity,” he emphasized, pledging his country’s support for Namibia’s efforts.
Mwanawasa was speaking at the State Banquet held in his honour in Windhoek on Tuesday evening.