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Zimbabwe: Push for Unconditional Debt Cancellation
The Herald (Harare) August 30, 2002
ZIMBABWEANS at the ongoing World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) have been urged to push for the unconditional cancellation of public debts by the developed world.
The Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (Zimcodd) said the debts, which are frustrating developmental efforts locally and within the rest of Africa are illegitimate. Mr Jonah Gokova, the chairman of Zimcodd said world leaders at the WSSD should also put a stop to privatisation of public facilities such as health, education, water and electricity. "In pursuit of the above, we also reject the New Partnership for Africa's Development and International Monetary Fund/World Bank poverty reduction strategy papers as these are nothing new and radical with past neo-liberal policies. "In fact, the paper review mechanism in Nepad has already disappointed us as far as addressing the Zimbabwe crisis is concerned," he said.
Mr David Malungisa, Zimcodd's national co-ordinator said WSSD offers Zimbabweans an opportunity to reflect on the sustainability of the social, political, economic and ecological policies and practices. Platform Zimcodd said the country's leaders could use the platform to push for the unconditional cancellation of all illegitimate public debts because they were repaid several times over.
Zimcodd is a debt and development network of about 70 organisations. The organisation was formed in early 2000 to develop a social movement on economic justice using trade as an entry point. The organisation has sent 36 activists to South Africa as part of the WSSD's people solidarity movements. Activists were drawn from the environmental groups, trade unions, students, churches, women's organisations, community based organisations and anti-privatisation advocates.
The organisation said the activists provided a centre for economic justice and anti-global resistance. "This follows the tradition of the new social movements that are associated with Durban, Seattle and Genoa teach-ins and demonstrations, linking local to global struggles," it added. There were massive anti-globalisation demonstrations in Seattle, the United States of America in 2000 and this marked the watershed of anti-globalisation demonstrations across the world.
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