Zimbabwe Democracy Trust

The Zimbabwe Democracy Trust (ZDT) "is a non-partisan pro-democracy group set up to campaign internationally for the rights of Zimbabweans to live in civic peace and freedom. Its primary function is to educate and inform governments, legislators, the media, NGOs and international institutions in democratic countries about Zimbabwe's struggle for positive change."

"The Zimbabwe Democracy Trust (ZDT) was set up in the United Kingdom in April 2000 as a non-partisan pro-democracy group to campaign for the rights of Zimbabweans to live in civic peace and freedom. It was incorporated in the United States in July 2002 as a non-profit organization after its headquarters moved from London to Washington, D.C. in September 2002. In March 2003 the District of Columbia granted the ZDT charitable 501-C3 tax-exempt status."

In 2000, The Guardian (UK) reported:


 * "The Zimbabwe Democracy Trust, whose patrons include former Tory Foreign Secretaries Malcolm Rifkind, Douglas Hurd and Geoffrey Howe has been accused of using the organisation as a cover for promoting the interests of Western multi-nationals in the troubled region...


 * "The driving force behind ZDT is Sir John Collins, the Zimbabwean Chairman of National Power, Britain's largest energy company, who organised a letter to the Times, published in April, calling for free elections. He did not say his company had substantial interests in Zimbabwe; in 1998 National Power won a $1.5 billion contract to develop a power station in the country...


 * "Former US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Dr Chester Crocker is another patron - a director of Ashanti Gold Fields, which owns Zimbabwe's largest gold mine. When approached by The Observer, he said: 'I have nothing personally to gain from supporting the Zimbabwe Democracy Trust. They were reaching out for like-minded people and I am like-minded.'"

==Patrons (2000) ==


 * Sir John Collins
 * Lord Howe
 * Lord Hurd
 * Chester Crocker
 * Lord Carrington
 * Lord Steel of Aikwood
 * Sir Malcom Rifkind
 * Lord Taylor of Warwick

People
Accessed April 2008:


 * ZDT Chairman - Lord Renwick of Clifton
 * ZDT Executive Director - Annabel Hughes
 * Administrator - Mrs. Julie Doolittle
 * Executive Assistant - Emma Rous

Contact

 * Web: http://www.zimbabwedemocracytrust.org

Related Sourcewatch articles

 * Associate consultant (in 2003) - Alyssa Jorgenson  (Washington DC)
 * Associate consultant (in 2003) - David Banks (London)