Statement by Senator David Coltart
April 18 2015
Today Zimbabwe celebrates 35 years of independence from colonial rule. All patriotic Zimbabweans celebrate that racial discrimination and the oppression caused by white minority rule ended 35 years ago. We also celebrate that the dreadful war which was fought to end that oppression ended then.
However beyond that there is very little else to celebrate in Zimbabwe. The last 35 years have seen the near total collapse of the Zimbabwean economy, hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans forced out of the country into economic or political exile, hundreds of thousands more who have needlessly died of AIDS, shocking human rights abuses in the form of Gukurahundi and Murambatsvina, rampant corruption and ongoing human rights abuses. The reality is that Zimbabwe, 35 years on, remains a country which has not yet experienced the sweet fruit of democracy, which in turns has lead to all these horrors.
Despite all of this Zimbabwe remains a wonderful country and its potential, although unrealised, is as great as ever. We are blessed with amazing, peace loving, highly literate, people, a strong infrastructure (which although damaged after decades of misrule is still good), magnificent natural resources, rich soils, superb weather – in fact everything…..except democracy. I have no doubt that when democracy, freedom and tolerance become rooted in our land, Zimbabwe will become the jewel of Africa.
Accordingly today, as we celebrate, we need to rededicate ourselves to continuing this long struggle to bring genuine freedom to our land. When we are independent of fear and intolerance we will celebrate Independence Day as one truly united, vibrant Nation.