Zimbabwe -- Meeting of G-8 group of nations

Presbyterian Record (Can) ^ | June 2002 | Eddie Cross

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Meeting of G-8 group of nations

At the end of June, Canada will have the responsibility of hosting and chairing a meeting of the G-8 group of nations. The main topic of discussion will be the needs of Africa. Leaders have agreed in advance to consider a new program for the continent called NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa's Development).

My mother came from British Columbia in the early part of the century and moved to what was then Rhodesia in 1938. I came along in 1940 and have lived in Zimbabwe ever since. My great- grandfather was a missionary to South Africa and arrived on the continent in 1867. My great- grandfather, grandfather and father are buried here, and my two children live here - my son is a pastor of a local church in Harare and my daughter is married and lives in Harare with her lawyer husband. We have two grandchildren.

I am an economist. I have spent my life in agriculture and am now the Secretary for Economic Affairs in the Movement for Democratic Change in Zimbabwe. Along with my associates in the party and the two million members we have in Zimbabwe, I am committed to peaceful democratic change here after 22 years of rule by a corrupt and despotic regime under Robert Mugabe.

As an African (that is what I am) and a citizen of Zimbabwe, I have watched my country go from a small, highly diversified, self-sufficient, middle income developing country, to what we are today: a poor, least developed state where every indicator of human welfare is negative. I believe I can make this judgment as I was one of the few white men who stood up to Ian Smith in his day and worked for majority democratic rule in the country and suffered for it during the Smith years.

This year, we will see our economy plunge 12 per cent, export earnings fall nearly 20 per cent, life expectancy for a women fall to 37 years from over 55 only 10 years ago, infant mortality approaching 50 per cent for under fives, and half our school-age children out of school. We have three million people on the edge of starvation and a nation-wide famine threatens from July onwards.

All of this is of human origin. We have a corrupt government that has violated almost every rule in the book on democracy, violates human and political rights every day and is denying bona fide citizens their right to passports and to freedom of association, speech and assembly.

Africa is the only continent where key indicators of human welfare are negative -- life expectancy, hunger, incomes, social systems are in decline across the continent. Corrupt and undemocratic governments still control half the countries in the Organization of African Unity. Western nations are blamed for this state of affairs and leaders are demanding huge inflows of foreign aid. They are now asking the leaders of the western world to support a new deal for the continent.

Canadians can do us a favour by demanding that any assistance to Africa will be totally dependent on us getting our affairs in order. Democratic states do not have famines. Free markets attract investment. Human rights, democracy and social justice are intertwined inextricably with any process of human development and economic progress.

The leaders of the NEPAD initiative are going to ask the leaders of the western world to fence off delinquent states like Zimbabwe (and many others) so that progress can be made with those countries that do meet the criteria set out above. The problems of Zimbabwe are influencing the peace and stability of countries as far away as Sudan as well as all countries in the southern part of Africa. The welfare and stability of the whole continent is dependent on sorting out those bad apples in the barrel before they infect the rest of the barrel.

Christians in Canada can join with us in praying for our leaders at this time. Especially for your prime minister who carries such a responsibility.

Eddie Cross
Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

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