Give us a break!! Mugabe tells the west

[Uhuru Kimathi]

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe yesterday criticised the West for allegedly promoting imperialism, exploiting African resources and sponsoring his government’s opponents.

President Mugabe further defended his government’s demolition of slums in Harare, acquisition of farms owned by white settlers and police crackdown on opposition, which recently left the Movement for Democratic Change party leader Morgan Tsvangirai in hospital.

Mau Mau

The octogenarian, who has been shunned by the West over his policies, said his government’s acquisition of white-owned farms and distribution to locals was inspired by Kenya’s pre-independence Mau Mau struggle.

Giving a vote of thanks at the end of 12th Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa Heads of State and Government Summit in Nairobi, Dr Mugabe called on African countries to resist political and economic manipulation by the West.

He said intra-Africa trade should be promoted and projects, whose existence solely relied on outside funding, avoided.

He said Africa could only develop using its own efforts.

Dr Mugabe said Africa should move from being producers of raw materials and engage in value addition of its produce for development.

“Value addition in economy is also value addition in political terms,� President Mugabe said.

He regretted that most commodities produced in Africa were priced elsewhere.

“Prices paid by us are fixed by others upon valuation by others. They are the great ones and we are the small ones,� he said.

He regretted that tea and other produce from Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe and other African countries were being sold in Europe and Dubai using foreign labels.

“I have been wanting to know which part of Britain tea is grown and up to now I have not found it. Nobody ever recognises us for that although the products play a great role in economy where they are sold,� he said.

Dr Mugabe stressed that value addition would mean more earnings, employment, development and industrialisation of African continent.

“We will slowly become as great as they are. We will be on equal economic position. They will not call the tune any more. We will also add value to economy and attain political growth,� President Mugabe said.

He said African people were getting more educated and experienced to “confront development challenges intelligently�.

The rebellion

President Mugabe thanked Kenya for the rebellion against British colonialists.

Although the rebellion was at the time questioned in some quarters, he said, its benefits had been realised.

He said Africa should own its development programmes, resources, land, minerals and forests for sovereignty.

President Mugabe said demolition of informal settlements in Zimbabwe was meant to “clean the environment.�

He thanked Comesa Heads of State and Government for appointing him vice-chairman of the 12th Summit.

He welcomed the leaders for the next summit in Harare in May, 2008, saying Zimbabwe was the only country in world that “the British have sung songs to tarnish at any forum�.

[Baba Ahmed]

Thanks Kimathi (Wakibiru) - I'll pass this onward. I need to kno 'cause Imma paste this at a site where there're folk from Zimbabwe. Is this from a newspaper or other media source? One who strongly disagrees with President Mugabe's actions against, said she, his own people.

I'm not there; she is.


Asante sana
Kwame Baba Ahmed

[Jalili]

Interesting I would life to know where this info came from as well.

[Uhuru Kimathi]

Greetingz brathas, the whole information came from a newspaper "Daily Nation" here in Kenya where Mugabe was giving a vote of thanks after the meeting of Heads of states of the COMESA Region.

Uhuru

[Baba Ahmed]

Asante sana -your signature photo shows my kinda people! Yeaaaaaa! Uhuru SASA!