Republic of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe addressing the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) held in Brazil. He blasted international finance capital in his talk., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
Saturday, 02 March 2013
Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
Zimbabwe Herald
PRESIDENT Mugabe insists harmonised elections will go ahead this year as scheduled, saying the inclusive Government was never meant to last forever. The Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces said this in an interview on the occasion of his 89th birthday aired on ZTV last night.
“Constitutionally, we must go for an election mustn’t we? We are bound by our Constitution to have an election every five years. It is the Constitution that is pushing us, everyone in the Government must always be cognisant of the bidding that comes from our Constitution.
“Anyway, this creature called the inclusive Government was not meant to last for as long as five years, but the others regard it as a free-ride which they don’t qualify for and did not qualify but which we thrust them upon.
“They want to enjoy the ride to the maximum, they never had it before and they know will never have it again so they want to enjoy it maximally,” he said.
He said elections should be held in a peaceful environment and repeated that violence will not be tolerated.
The President said Government would not stop implementing the indigenisation and empowerment programme.
“Actually, we have postponed it for too long because we wanted to concentrate on the land and ensure that the basis which is land ownership had been taken care of.
“Now we have taken care of it, what we require now is what happens on it, the developments that take place on it and under it and then the natural resources should come into our hands.”
He said Zimbabwe would not allow its resources to go into foreigners’ hands.
“That is really to commit an act of defiance against God’s order and not only that, we will be acting in a foolish way ourselves.
“This is our land, these are our resources. What sort of people will we be to show that reckless disregard?”
The President said the issue of access to land and natural resources inspired the war of liberation against the white settler regime.
He said the Government would not buy shares in mining companies, but would use the value of the mineral deposits to determine shareholding.
He said Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Minister Saviour Kasukuwere could have got it wrong when he signed a deal agreeing that Zimbabwe will pay for acquiring shareholding in Zimplats.
“So you see problem ndiyoyo, ivo vakatipa 51 percent vachiti chikwereti chatirikukupai asi tirikukubhadharirai mangwana mozotibhadhara that is where the difference is.
“I think that is where our minister made a mistake. He did not quite understand what was happening and yet theory yedu ndeyekuti resource iyoyo ndeyedu and that resource is our share that is where the 51 percent comes from,” President Mugabe said.
He castigated white former commercial farmers that have taken their cases to South African courts in an attempt to reverse the programme.
He said Government would not be bound by the courts’ rulings.
“In South Africa they have certain elements outside the ANC and cannot be controlled by the ANC and these are elements that once upon a time where here and were unseated by us and have realised that in South Africa you can go to court and get judgments.
“But let them have those judgments, we will simply ignore them, South African courts have no jurisdiction over us so we will simply ignore them.”
On regional issues, President Mugabe said it was wrong for some African countries that were in the UN Security Council to call for a resolution that allowed NATO to topple and murder Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
He said Africans should solve their problems without interference.
Meanwhile, President Mugabe said the 21st Movement celebrations was a brainchild of Zanu-PF youths and had grown in leaps and bounds since inception in 1986.
“I did not impose it on them (youths), they formed it on their own and I believe it is getting more and more support so we look forward to be there with the family and enjoy ourselves.”
The celebrations will be held today at Chipadze Stadium in Bindura.
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