Donald M. Payne: “Mr. Speaker, Zimbabwe is one of the most important countries in Africa. Many of us remember the people of Zimbabwe's…”

“Mr. Speaker, Zimbabwe is one of the most important countries in Africa. Many of us remember the people of Zimbabwe's courageous struggle for independence that took many years of fighting with Mr. Nkomo and Mr. Mugabe and others. As I recently said in a letter to President Mugabe, indeed, post-independence Zimbabwe clearly demonstrates much of the best of Africa and what Africans are capable of doing, despite decades of repressive white rule, as we saw in Rhodesia, by Ian Smith's government. After independence, white Zimbabweans were embraced, not chased out of the country, nor mistreated, as many cynics predicted would happen. Human rights were largely respected and the rule of law prevailed across the country. Mr. Speaker, Zimbabwe has long been a model country with a stable government, a good educational system, and a modern economy. But in recent years, conditions have gone from bad to worse, in large part due to poor leadership. The economy is in shambles, human rights abuses are extensive, and there seems to be little respect for the rule of law.”