DECLARATION

WE SOLEMLY DECLARE that:

1.         ZICOCHA is non-partisan, non-sectarian and non-religious. It holds the interest of Zimbabwe supreme, which transcends all personal and selfish interests. The ZICOCHA's objective is to help the opposition parties in Zimbabwe collectively in a coalition effort and not individual parties. The ZICOCHA believes that, for the 2008 elections, personal, ideological and political differences should be buried in a joint effort to remove the Mugabe cancer from our body politic. ZICOCHA believes this should be the primary and overriding goal for all opposition leaders. The ZICOCHA takes a strong, uncompromising position on this. Personal ambition or selfish lust for power has been the major cause of the bickering among opposition leaders. It should end immediately since it strengthens the hands of the dictator. Once the brutal Mugabe dictatorship has been removed and the political playing field has been leveled, the various opposition leaders can then play their party politics.

2.         ZICOCHA will make it unequivocally clear that it would only contribute resources to a coalition effort -- not to individual parties. Accordingly, so empowered, the ZICOCHA will mobilize resources from Zimbabweans in Canada and USA into a coalition war chest and will not entertain any financial requests from any of the five individual opposition parties.

3.        Members of ZICOCHA have pledged at least $100 each towards an opposition coalition victory. Individuals may contribute more if they so wish and able. ZICOCHA set up a target of $1 million to campaign for the convocation of a Sovereign National Conference or, failing that, to finance the opposition alliance for the electoral victory in 2008.

4.         To achieve an electoral victory in 2008, the ZICOCHA would like to see a signed commitment (not a verbal declaration or affirmation) by all opposition parties by Jan 15, 2008 to form an opposition alliance and set up the modalities (an inter-party committee) to build such a coalition by Jan 31, 2008. Once established, this "committee" will be the one and only one in Zimbabwe ZICOCHA will deal with. All other committees or ZICOCHAs, purporting to be working for an opposition coalition, should coalesce or liase with this "inter-party committee."

5.         All those who work in the executive positions of ZICOCHA or committees that seek to bring about an opposition alliance shall not use them as platforms or vehicles to launch their own political ambition or promote the agenda of another individual or party. It will be a conflict of interest situation that will wreak havoc to the objective of the coalition committee. The committee should be non-partisan and scrupulously neutral. All those with a desire to contest the presidency or a parliamentary seat, cannot be chairman of the ZICOCHA. Anyone who wishes to actively contest an office in the coming general elections should operate within the various parties and not within the ambit of the non-partisan ZICOCHA or others.

7.         We are fully conscious of the fact that Zimbabweans abroad are not without criticism too. They could have done more in the past to support the "struggle" at home, besides lecturing. They should demonstrate a real commitment to provide resources to alliance forces back home, not just talk. The time for talking is over.