Zimbabwe ready to 'shed blood'
September 03, 2002
ZIMBABWE was ready to "shed blood" to defend its land reforms, President Robert Mugabe told the world's leaders at the Earth Summit in Johannesburg today as he slammed British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Mugabe called on the summit to adopt a program that would allow Africans to enjoy sustainable development "not as puppets, not as beggars but as sovereign people" and told Blair to "keep your England and let me keep my Zimbabwe." [Neither England nor Zimbabwe nor any country belongs to any particular person]
A sizeable number of delegates applauded enthusiastically several times during Mugabe's speech.
"Opposition by Blair is artificial and a complete interference in our sovereignty. We fought for the land and fought for our sovereignty and we are prepared to shed our blood for their sustenance and maintenance of that," he said.
Mugabe is under mounting western criticism over his seizure of white farmers' land for blacks when 6 million people -- about half the population -- are facing the threat of starvation.
Britain has been at the forefront of EU and Commonwealth sanctions -- including a travel ban on dozens of key officials -- aimed at isolating Mugabe's government. It has said it might evacuate some 20,000 British citizens living in Zimbabwe if they were attacked.
Mugabe said criticisms of Zimbabwe's land policy "really is undeserved" as white farmers, many of whom were British nationals, were not deprived of their land.
"Ownership must rest primarily with the black majority, not with the obdurate and internationally well connected group of whites farmers supported and manipulated by the Blair government," he said.
"We shall not deprive the white farmers of land. They will have at least one farm but they want more -- 15, 20 and even 35 farms. No farmer is being left without land." [interesting! I still think there should be some compensation to those that have their shares of farms reduced by the government and the black majority]
He said the international development paradigm must shift away from the global, corporate pattern to a people-oriented system.
Mugabe also took a swipe at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), saying it "never has been a fund for the poor" and was used by rich industrialised countries to dominate the world.
Even the United Nations remained "unreformed" and insensitive to the needs of the developing world, he said.
"We reject the manipulative and intimidatory countries and regional blocs aimed at subordinating our sovereignty with false concepts of the rule of law, democracy and good governance," he said.
Mugabe's regime has become increasingly isolated since presidential elections in March, with sanctions imposed by the European Union, the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Switzerland, who accuse the Mugabe regime of vote fraud and political violence.
Agence France-Presse
Back
Get News by Email Print This Article Email This Article
OTHER THE WORLD HEADLINES
Privacy Policy © News Limited Advertise with us