Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai gave a key note address at the conference expressing  how important a democratic Zimbabwe is and how he wished to see this country as a nation where leaders can be chosen by the people. After years of political instability and economic decline a new shared national vision would serve as a way for Zimbabwe to proceed together towards the creation of a  democratic, safe and unified country.

The workshop entailed many positive and encouraging aspects and participants were eager to engage in the re-branding of Zimbabwe. The country is currently working towards the formation of a new constitution, hence a new National Vision Workshop coincides well with this process.

Earlier in the week one could read an encouraging statement by President Mugabe about the importance  of a unified Zimbabwe. This is a great and surprising turn for the otherwise so uncompromising leader;

“Indeed, we must move from a culture of historically imposed violence, undertake an examination of the past and present traumatic stress disorders afflicting the greater part of our population, military and non-military and uniformed or civilian; to build a new culture of inclusive born of s healed national environment.”  (President Mugabe)

The Swedish Ambassador Sten Rylander gave a speech on the second day of the event emphasising the importance of a shared national vision for Zimbabwe and the importance for Zimbabwe to re-enter the global community. He also spoke of the weight which a new constitution will play towards the creation of a democratic, free and prosperous country.

Feedback so far indicates that people have high expectations of the Swedish EU Presidency . One person who attended the Zimbabwe National Visions Workshop said it was a frank and straightforward speech, and there is need for more open discussions as these, for there to be meaningful changes. More people seem to be prepared to listen to and take seriously what Sweden and other international friends have to say, at this point in time.

It is a great pleasure for me and for the Swedish Embassy in Zimbabwe to have been invited to this very important occasion at which Zimbabweans are seeking to come up with a shared National Vision. I come to you as a friend of Zimbabwe to share my views on some issues – from an international perspective - which you might consider when coming up with your National Vision. I would like to commend the DPM´s office for this good initiative; the DPM´s Office has taken a keen interest in work around the rebranding of Zimbabwe which is crucial in terms of positioning the country towards a path of recovery and prosperity and also towards the outside world at large. Arthur Mutambara´s speech at last week’s Investment Conference was a refreshing and very honest account of what needs to be done to reach positive results in these rebranding efforts.

By coincidence a similar national rebranding exercise is presently going on in my country – through which we are trying to map out the road to a new, contemporary image of Sweden abroad. We would like to link Sweden to the key notion of “Progressive”, surrounded by the following four core values: “Open, Innovative, Authentic and Caring”. It is my pleasure to hand over this Brand Sweden document to DPM´s Office for reflection and hopefully some inspiration.

Zimbabwe is a beautiful country - from the wildlife of Mana Pools to the misty mountains of the Eastern Highlands and further South to the unique conservancies in the lowfeldt area, not to speak of Victoria Falls and Kariba. This country is also endowed with vast resources, a highly educated population and a rich cultural heritage. These are just a few of the positive elements on which Zimbabwe can build in its rebranding work. However, the rebranding exercise and the quest to come up with a National Vision do not operate in a vacuum; this process should be complemented by tangible results on the ground which show that the country is ready to move forward. In other words, the product must change in order for a rebranding to be possible and to succeed.

The legacy of the liberation struggle is a reality, which will no doubt help shape the country’s National Vision making process. Many brave and gallant Zimbabweans fought for freedom and prosperity for the majority and my country, Sweden, strongly supported the liberation movements, both ZANU and ZAPU. Sweden gave substantial political, humanitarian and moral support over many years to these liberation movements because we believed – and still believe - in majority rule, democracy, freedom and a better life for all Zimbabweans. To this day, Sweden has stood by the Zimbabwean people and is committed to assisting the country in its on-going recovery efforts.
Zimbabwe has the exclusive jurisdiction over its state and is free from external control. However, the noble ideals of sovereignty do not mean that Zimbabwe should be isolated from the international community. Sovereignty does not mean that Zimbabwe should be on its own. It is nothing wrong with buying in or “steal with pride” from other international experiences – whether we talk of vision exercises or constitution-making processes. Zimbabwe can maintain its sovereignty and still be part of the global village. For Zimbabwe to recover, it needs more friends and less enemies in the international community. As Zimbabweans come up with the National Vision, this vision should also picture Zimbabwe as part of the global community.
Sweden is the current President of the EU and we all welcome and acknowledge the decision of the Zimbabwean Government  to enter into a dialogue with EU; and the establishment of  a re-engagement committee to that effect, chaired by the Foreign Affairs Minister. As holder of the EU Presidency we are now committed to enter into a meaningful dialogue as a way towards normalisation of relations between Zimbabwe and EU, provided there will be concrete deliveries on issues of concern, and an agreed roadmap to re-engagement with deliveries on both sides.

For Zimbabwe to come up with a good and respected National Vision, there are issues that the country needs to deal with; and which you are in fact busy dealing with. National healing is one of these central issues. For the country to move forward it is important to heal the wounds from past conflicts and to ensure that there is truth, justice and true reconciliation. A country’s constitution espouses the beliefs and vision of a country. In this regard, the inclusive government should continue the hard work to ensure that Zimbabwe comes up with a constitution that reflects the aspirations of the Zimbabwean people – in spite of the embarrassing disturbances that could be witnessed in this very building a few days ago. The inclusive government should do all it can to stop political crimes and political violence. The detentions and prosecutions under repressive laws still in place do not carry the country forward and rather stand in the way of a shared National Vision.

Zimbabwe should also deal with issues that give a perception of  traces of a rogue state. For instance, the government should effectively deal with issues of human rights and respect for the rule of law. The continued disruptive actions still surrounding so many farms in this country should be condemned and stopped; they disturb production, disregard the rule of law and help underpin rogue state perceptions. The GPA outlines ways through which land reform should be dealt with – including carrying out of a land audit - and it is now up to the inclusive government to adhere to what it agreed to do. As was pointed out by both Hon Elton Mangoma and John Robertson respect for property rights is a key element in this whole context.

There is no way any country can develop a good shared National Vision when the citizens have limited access to information and can not freely express themselves. A National Vision needs to be communicated across the country and this will work best if the airwaves are opened and citizens have the possibilities of making their input into the National Vision process through the media. For instance, community-based radios – if they had existed - could have played a central role in terms of articulating issues  coming up in the process of formulating a shared national vision. It is therefore crucial for Zimbabwe to amend or repeal repressive media laws to give space for media to operate freely. The hate speech and negative reporting that we have witnessed in the press does not help in building and fostering a shared National Vision. It is important for Zimbabwe – and for this National Vision exercise - to put media reform high on the reform agenda.

A shared National Vision can best develop when the ordinary people have a decent life. The government should therefore continue to work – with strong support from all of us in the international donor community - towards addressing the humanitarian crisis and uplifting the lives of ordinary citizens.

As the country reflects and develops a shared vision, it is important to continue working on and adhering to those values and issues which were agreed upon in the Global Political Agreement. This will help in terms of developing a shared framework on how the country should progress and thereby assist in coming up with a common understanding and vision for Zimbabwe. Zimbabweans can build on their history, knowledge, experiences, views and beliefs to come up with a shared and unified National Vision. I think Hon Stan Mudenge was right yesterday when he revealed the secret of Zimbabwe: its people. You can do it – and, as he pointed out, you have done it before during your rich history. -- Our role in the international community is to support and assist Zimbabweans as partners and friends. When we raise some issues this should not be taken as interference, but as good advise from friends in the global village.

Yesterday and today have been among the best and most encouraging days that I have experienced during the troublesome 3,5 years I have been in Zimbabwe. I wish you all the best in your deliberations and work towards developing a
shared National Vision.

Tatenda, Siyabonga, Twalumba. I thank you.

(Speech by The Swedish Ambassador, 17th of July, Harare)