Africa will remain the world's problem child unless the crisis of leadership and lack of democratic institutions is resolved, the head of the Zimbabwean opposition party, Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, said in Dublin yesterday.
Mr Tsvangirai, in Dublin for the first time to attend the initiation of Alliance 2015, a joining of four European development agencies, said in his own country President Mugabe was on the fast track to destruction.
The leader of the Democratic Change party said that for the past 20 years they had been happy to follow one man.
"At this stage, when President Mugabe talks about fast-track land resettlement programme, I think he is only fast-track to destruction," Mr Tsvangirai warned. "The moment the people put their faith and confidence in an individual, that is the moment when the people are seriously compromised."
The immediate concern in Africa was to break the cycle of poverty, lawlessness and the HIV menace.
"The crisis we are facing in Africa is a crisis of leadership and a crisis of lack of democratic institutions. Unless that crisis is resolved Africa will remain the world's problem child," Mr Tsvangirai said.
In the modern world good political leadership was obtained only by the full democratic participation of the people, letting the people decide for themselves their collective destiny.
"In Africa today we can collaborate with civic institutions but Africa is facing a crisis of conflicts and until those conflicts are resolved it is going to be a wasted effort," he said.
People could be organised through civic organisations, the trade unions, women's groups, youth groups.
It was necessary if a basis for democratic development was to be provided that these institutions existed in society. They realised that this was not an easy task. It required time, effort and resources, he said.
In the democratic movement they were very proud of the efforts to unite people across race to reclaim the people's power. It was only with that international effort that they were able to move forward.