ATTENTION NEWS EDITOR
MEDIA RELEASE
ACDP Parliament
Cheryllyn Dudley, MP and Whip
30th June 2008
Do not recognize Mugabe presidency says ACDP.
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The ACDP has appealed to the African Union and the international community not to recognize Mugabe’s presidency. ACDP MP & Whip, Cheryllyn Dudley:
"The ACDP is shocked and angry that a UN Security Council statement has been watered down after South Africa’s objections. The whole world recognises that the results of the Zimbabwe run-off and indeed the election preceding it, was neither free nor fair. The elections should have been soundly rejected, but the United Nations failed to call them illegitimate because of our South African objections. We are ashamed.
We are disturbed at reports of Robert Mugabe having said he is going to the African Union summit "to see whose finger there is clean." We appeal to African leaders not to buckle to Robert Mugabe’s intimidation.
Before them is the opportunity to show Robert Mugabe that his terrorism against his own people is unacceptable in the new Africa by refusing to recognize his presidency. The ACDP sees this moment as one that could tip the scales in Zimbabwe in favour of democracy and be a moment to redeem ourselves in the light of the world and the people of the continent.
The ACDP is concerned about President Thabo Mbeki’s take over of chairmanship of SADC in August. His bias and discrimination against the people of Zimbabwe in order to cover and condone Mugabe’s brutal terror tactics has been despicable. We urge African leaders to stand up as statesmen and reject Mugabe’s illegitimate status as Zimbabwe’s president."
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Do not recognize Mugabe presidency says ACDP
Friday, March 7, 2008
ACDP responds to government discouragement of private electricity generators
MEDIA RELEASE
ACDP Parliament
Cheryllyn Dudley, MP and Parliamentary Whip
7th March, 2008
ACDP shocked that government chose to have no electricity rather than be unable to claim it provides the cheapest electricity. ACDP queries how the nuclear solution and the billions being spent will cost the consuming public less.
In answer to a question in Parliament by ACDP MP, Cheryllyn Dudley, about government discouragement of private electricity generators, President Mbeki has made it clear the reason his government discouraged private generators is because it would cause a rise in the cost of power and his government is proud of offering the cheapest electricity.
Cheryllyn Dudley, ACDP MP responds:
“South Africa now has electricity blackouts at least in part because alternative electricity generating companies have been kept out of the market. Foreign generating companies, for example, were told that they could erect generating plants in this country but that government officials would fix the price at which they could sell their electricity and decide to whom it could be sold. Not surprisingly they declined.
South Africa, now, in fact, has BOTH increased costs and blackouts.
Since government says it has the wellbeing of the poor at heart, the ACDP finds it strange that government did not consider electricity subsidies for the poor instead of discouraging the instantly accessible private electricity generators. How could it be in South Africa’s best interests to put the country into darkness, put the brakes on major construction plans and employment and thus further jeopardise the wellbeing of the poor!?
The ACDP asked the President what other avenues of alternative power have been discouraged as promising environmentally-friendly options seem to have been sidelined. Whilst the President accepted collective responsibility for the energy crisis and apologised, the ACDP wants to know whether the situation arose as part of a strategy to create a receptive atmosphere for nuclear solutions. Nuclear solutions have been speedily imposed without public debate or proper procedure as set out in the green paper. The ACDP is particularly concerned regarding disposal of toxic waste.
ACDP asks in light of the billions it will cost for nuclear power, does President Mbeki still intend keeping the price low? Or will it be just fine for the consuming public to foot the bill if the bill is for a nuclear solution?
