President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe speaking at his sister's memorial services on Sunday, August 1, 2010. When the president criticized the West for its genocidal sanctions, the imperialist envoys walked out in disrespect.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos
By Takunda Maodza
Zimbabwe Herald
PRESIDENT Mugabe has slammed indigenous farmers leasing land to white former commercial farmers saying such disturbing behaviour was tantamount to reversing the historic land reform programme.
The President made the remarks following recent revelations by The Herald that several farmers in Mashonaland West Province were leasing their farms to white former farmers whose land was acqui-red to resettle the landless majority.
Addressing the 83rd Ordinary Session of the Zanu-PF Central Committee on the eve of the party’s 11th National People’s Conference that gets under-way today in Mutare, Cde Mugabe challenged beneficiaries of the land reform programme to put the land to maximum use by themselves.
"Regrettably, this feeling of inadequacy and du-plicity in some of our people threatens even the very programmes that Zanu-PF put together for their economic empowerment. Some abuses of the resettlement exercise stand as testimony to this short-sightedness," he said.
Added the Zanu-PF First Secretary: "Where some people have accessed the means of production, a certain paralysis afflicts them and leads them into underhand deals with the same white man who, yesterday, refused to share a resource that should be enjoyed by all the country’s citizens.
It is grossly disturbing to learn of the extent to which some of our people have gone towards literally giving back the land to white farmers, all for a pittance of the farm profits at the end of the season."
President Mugabe warned such behaviour should end forthwith.
"Why not work towards reaping the entire profits for one’s family? When will this slavish regard, slavish mentality of hero worshipping the white man, our coloniser just yesterday, end, in order to allow our people to exercise and realise their full potential? That slavish mentality should end," he said.
President Mugabe said it was Zanu-PF’s wish to empower people through ownership of the country’s vast resources.
He challenged Zimbabweans to explore areas of economic empowerment.
"Not too long ago, on a Tuesday after our weekly Cabinet meetings, I decided to look through applications for exclusive prospecting orders that had recently been brought for my consideration by the Minister of Mines and Mining Development (Obert Mpofu).
"I decided to meet the applicants, if only to understand their mentality and the resources they would commit to their chosen field. There were whites who had just returned from the cold climates of European countries, whites who told me about the differences in geology of Tuli, Lupane, Bubi, Chimanimani and other places. I wondered why they wanted to go into coal, that dark, dusty mineral, until they indicated — without hesitation — that for the next 10 years coal is where all the money will be. I asked myself how many of our own people have this knowledge?
"Indeed, how many of our indigenous entrepreneurs are willing to venture into such enterprises?" President Mugabe said.
He said Zanu-PF wanted indigenous Zimbabweans to possess such knowledge and to be ready to make a positive difference in the country’s economy.
"It is neither possible nor desirable for Government to keep spoon feeding you on the areas you should direct your economic endeavours," President Mugabe said.
He challenged Zimbabweans to pronounce without fear or hesitation ownership of their God-given resources in line with the theme of this year’s National People’s Conference – "Total Control of Our Resources through Indigenisation and Empowerment."
President Mugabe said this year’s theme underlined the party’s appreciation of its position regarding the ownership of the country’s resources.
"The resources are ours. Geology, history and the liberation struggle made it a reality that these resources are ours. But are we ourselves? Resources may be ours but do you believe in yourself truly as you should be?" he said.
President Mugabe said people who still believed in the white man’s supremacy were not truly independent within themselves.
On the inclusive Government, he said it was necessary for Zanu-PF to review its participation in the Sadc brokered political arrangement.
"What is galling is the discovery or perhaps, confirmation, that the people we thought were our partners in running the country, were most of the time, serving other masters who are not the people of this country.
"This is why even as we tried to call for a united and uncompromising stance against sanctions, we could not get the level of commitment we hoped for," he said.
President Mugabe, however, noted that the life span of the inclusive Government was fast ending and urged Zanu-PF to vigorously prepare for elections.
"This is where we want to find the party ready for campaigns, ready for elections, so that we can, once more, show that Zanu-PF is here to stay," he said.
President Mugabe also urged Zanu-PF to be "awake, determined and vigilant" as the enemy was forever orchestrating the downfall of the revolutionary party.
He said attempts by the enemy to destroy Zanu-PF were so blatant to such an extent that even Western ambassadors were organising against the party and openly supporting the opposition in full violation of the United Nations Charter on non interference in the domestic affairs of another country.
"Even those who dabble in the business of leaking information find it difficult to remove or disconnect Zanu-PF from the masses, the brave and valiant masses who carried us through the liberation struggle, supported us in the establishment of our new country and have since stood by us on every building-block of the country," President Mugabe said.
On WikiLeaks he said: "For those who take time to learn, it is our hope that the WikiLeaks exposures will by now have shown them the evil and dangerous nature of the policies being followed by our former colonisers and their partners."
The cables exposed how MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai allegedly unsuccessfully attempted to illegally remove the democratically elected Government of President Mugabe from office.
Earlier on, an extraordinary session of the Zanu-PF Politburo met at the party headquarters.
Party spokesperson Cde Rugare Gumbo said the Politburo examined the Central Committee report and reviewed the party’s activities in the last 12 months. He said President Mugabe donated 10 laptops to the party’s information and publicity department.
Cde Gumbo added his voice to calls that Prime Minister Tsvangirai should resign after he was exposed by WikiLeaks, that he worked with imperialists to effect an illegal regime change.
"If he is a man of integrity he has to resign. I am surprised and baffled that the Prime Minister says he is not concerned when every body is concerned," said Cde Gumbo.
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