Zimbabwe    

•  Nirj Deva has earned a formidable reputation in the European Parliament and on the international stage as a passionate foe of President Robert Mugabe, who he has denounced as a “cruel and vicious dictator”.

•  Following his impassioned call for the European Union to impose trade sanctions on Zimbabwe after evidence emerged of the brutal suppression of Morgan Tsvangirai’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change, the Mugabe regime banned Nirj Deva from entering the country. He has also called for the withdrawal of Zimbabwe from the ACP-EU agreement and for suspension of EU assistance of over 130 million euros per year to that country.

•  Deva strongly objected to the visit of Zimbabwean Government Ministers to the European Parliament famously asking Paul Nielson, EU Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid if he “would have matters with Stalin and Hitler too?”
 

Human Rights in Zimbabwe
13th February 2003

Deva (PPE-DE). – Mr President, I speak on behalf of my friend, Mr Van Orden, and the British Conservatives. I also speak on behalf of the oppressed people of Zimbabwe who are crying out for justice. Yet again we find ourselves having to discuss Zimbabwe. Why, one might ask, are we doing so now? The situation in Zimbabwe has gone from bad to worse, with enforced starvation and continuing human rights abuses and political oppression.

However, the most urgent issue at this moment relates to action to be taken by the EU itself. It is unbelievable that there was a need for a lengthy Council discussion on the renewal of sanctions, which must take effect by 18 February. Who would believe that their renewal would depend upon the Council's agreement to Mugabe visiting Paris! Mugabe is the prime instigator of the oppression and misery of the Zimbabwean people and the supposed main target of EU action. The problem with EU sanctions has been their lack of rigorous enforcement. Now the plan is to allow Mugabe and his entourage to travel to Paris. No wonder that the EU is not taken seriously. After all, we should not be trying to find ways of helping Mugabe to evade our own sanctions. Instead we should be trying to make sanctions more effective. If anything, they need to be widened in their scope! We should not be surprised if African leaders are half-hearted in their support for international measures when the EU is seen to lack resolve.

The EU's weakness is in marked contrast to the brave stand taken by the Zimbabwean cricketers, Henry Olonga and Andy Flower. Prior to taking the field for Zimbabwe's opening match of the World Cricket Cup, they said: ‘we cannot in good conscience take to the field and ignore the fact that millions of our compatriots are (...) oppressed. (...) we are making a silent plea to those responsible to stop the abuse of human rights in Zimbabwe. In so doing, we pray that our small action may help restore sanity and dignity to our nation.’ They have put their lives and their livelihoods at risk by their courage. They deserve all the support we can give to them and to the suffering people of Zimbabwe.

I call upon Members to support the resolution without amendment.

Question to the European Commission: Is it correct that the chairman of the Zimbabwean Red Cross is Dr Swithum Mombeshora who is also the Zanu/PF Minister of Energy in Mugabe's Government? Is it also correct that there are Red Cross structures throughout Zimbabwe such as in Mberenqua East, which have as their acting chairman Mr Shiri, a teacher at Zuishava in Mberenqua East, a perpetrator of violence against MDC members, who was also arrested and charged, but is now a beneficiary of the Mugabe amnesty and is once again agitating for violence in preparation for the forthcoming Presidential election? Response from the European Commission Swithun Mombeshora is Minister of Transport and Chairman of the Zimbabwe Red Cross. Mr Shiri is Deputy Headmaster of a secondary school in Mberengwa District. He was taken into custody by police in connection with political violence carried out on behalf of the ruling party in Mberengwa in the pre-election period, but was soon released and there has been no follow-up. Mr Shiri was on the Mberengwa Committee of the Zimbabwe Red Cross. This Committee has been dissolved pending elections. It is not the role of the Commission to judge individual nominations made at local and national levels by the Zimbabwe Red Cross. I would suggest your queries are directed to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.