Published by the government of Zimbabwe
17 April 2008
Harare — ZANU-PF says the letter written by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai offering to assist him effect illegal regime change in Zimbabwe shows that the recently held extraordinary Sadc summit in Lusaka, Zambia, was at the behest of the British.
Brown wrote to Tsvangirai on April 9, 2008 pledging to use all diplomatic means to ensure Sadc was more directly involved in Zimbabwe's elections and impose severe sanctions against Zimbabwe.
"The British government is supportive of change in Zimbabwe . . . The UK government believes that the situation is now untenable and a Zanu-PF Government is no longer relevant to the people of Zimbabwe.
"I shall be communicating with you after lobbying Sadc to make sure that a solution to the ongoing crisis in Zimbabwe is reached and your electoral success is respected," Brown wrote.
He added: "In the meantime, I can reassure you that the UK government will use its influence to bring the Zimbabwe crisis onto the United Nations Security Council. The only alternative left is to lobby for more direct sanctions against President Robert Mugabe's illegitimate government."
Chairman of the Zanu-PF media sub-committee Cde Patrick Chinamasa yesterday said the correspondence between Brown and Tsvangirai exposed Britain as the brains behind last weekend's Sadc summit in Zambia. He said Zanu-PF viewed this as an unfortunate development that Sadc had wittingly or unwittingly allowed itself to be used as a tool for the British to advance British interests in the sub-region and effect regime change in Zimbabwe.
"It is evident that the extraordinary Sadc summit was held at the behest of the British, and Zanu-PF calls on (Sadc chairman) President Mwanawasa (of Zambia) not to be part of the regime change agenda against Zimbabwe.
"Sadc, which is a successor organisation to the Frontline States, should be ashamed of itself to be part of an agenda that reverses the liberation of the sub-continent. I hope the people of Sadc will wake up to this danger that is visiting the sub-region," said Cde Chinamasa.
Head of the Zimbabwe delegation to the Sadc summit Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa on Monday said the meeting was unprocedural and had taken the majority of member states by surprise because they were not consulted over the summit, which the Sadc chairman announced in the Western media before inviting his colleagues.
The letter also showed Tsvangirai was in regular contact with the British government over Zimbabwe's domestic affairs and was openly consulting with a foreign power that was hostile to Zimbabwe's interests.
"The UK has imposed comprehensive sanctions against Zimbabwe in contravention of international law. The correspondence confirms that Tsvangirai is not his own man and that he is working for the British interests to recolonise Zimbabwe.
"It is clear from the correspondence that Tsvangirai along with Brown are seeking an illegal regime change in Zimbabwe and on the part of Tsvangirai this is treasonous. The are no doubting consequences for acting in treasonous manner. It is also clear that Tsvangirai and the MDC-T are lobbying for even severe sanctions against this country. They want to cause more suffering for our people. They have no conscience whatsoever in being party to the machinations of the enemy to undermine our economy and cause hardships for our people," said Cde Chinamasa.
He added: "The British are driving an agenda to put their puppet at the helm of this country so that the gains of the revolution which they opposed throughout the liberation struggle can be reversed. The people of Zimbabwe will not allow this country to be taken over by a British surrogate."
Information and Publicity Minister Cde Sikhanyiso Ndlovu last night said the letter confirmed the Government's stance that the Tsvangirai was a puppet of the British.
"This is all what we have always said that MDC is a creation of the British and Tsvangirai a puppet of the British. So Tsvangirai is a puppet of Gordon Brown.
"Brown says the situation in Zimbabwe is untenable but that is the will of the British people and not the people of Zimbabwe.
"Brown says he will push for more sanctions yet as a Government we will make sure that the people of Zimbabwe benefit from their projects we are implementing."
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