I am pleased that the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) has decided
not to tour Zimbabwe in April this year.
I welcome this decision of the ACB. I am pleased that in making
its decision the ACB has taken account of my department's consular
advice which states that Australians should defer all normal holiday
and business travel to Zimbabwe until further notice.
Further to the vital consideration of the safety of Australian
players, the tour would also have run the risk of being interpreted
as some form of approval of the Zimbabwe regime. The presence of
the cricket team would have been very much manipulated to serve
political ends in Zimbabwe, possibly with violent consequences.
President Mugabe is responsible for the violence and breakdown
of the rule of law. He and his ZANU(PF) cronies must accept full
responsibility for the cricket tour being cancelled.
The Zimbabwe Government stands suspended from the Councils of the
Commonwealth with its Presidential election strongly condemned by
the Commonwealth Observer Group. Australia has been singled out
by the Zimbabwe Government as a country which worked to achieve
that result. We are naturally proud to be associated with the maintenance
of the Commonwealth's principles of democracy. But the Commonwealth
Observer Group included members from many countries and they agreed
that Zimbabwe's elections did not allow for a free expression of
will by the electors.
Now, after the election, there are alarming reports of murders,
beatings and violent retributive action by supporters of the Government
against opposition members and those suspected of supporting the
opposition.
This must cease.
I again call on the Zimbabwe Government to work with the Commonwealth,
in particular the Secretary General and South African and Nigerian
special representatives to reconcile themselves with the opposition
and return Zimbabwe to the rule of law.
Media inquiries: Matt Francis 02 6277 7500
