Mugabe Uses Sister's Funeral To Swing At The West

Didn't I say that Mugabe would turn the funeral of his sister into an anti-West rant?

mugabe unhappy WiLTj 16744

"Zimbabwe's president says the death of his sister robbed him of one of his closest friends and allies in his lifelong fight against colonial era rule and Western dominance in Africa.

In an emotional and angry address Sunday at the state funeral of Sabina Mugabe, 81, President Robert Mugabe castigated the West and said after his sister's death Thursday he will not abandon their cause.

"To hell" with Europeans and Americans opposed to his rule, he said."

I am quite surprised that we continue to report on Mugabe's antics. He is so easy to read, and we don't actually have to be anywhere near to him to report what happened.

Mugabe will use any public event - even the funeral of his own sister - as a weapon against the West. About the only thing that he didn't do is accuse the West of being responsible for his sister's death...

Another newspaper report wasn't much different.

"He told those Europeans and American who were opposed to his rule to go "to hell" , while addressing thousands gathered at the National Heroes' Acre for the funeral of his sister, Sabina, whom he described as one of his closest friends and allies in his lifelong fight against white rule in Zimbabwe.

"To hell with them. Whoever told them that they are above the people of Zimbabwe, that the decisions that should be made by the people of Zimbabwe are theirs to make?"

"We say to hell, hell, hell with them. They will not decide who is going to lead the people of Zimbabwe."

The president castigated the West and said after his sister's death Thursday he will not abandon the cause.

He added that the west sought his ouster by imposing illegal sanctions on the country.

The president said a "European-American clique" imposed sanctions for their own reasons."

Mugabe says that the West does not decide who is to lead Zimbabwe, but his ZANU PF party ensures that whatever the result, Mugabe remains in power. Isn't that what is commonly called a dictatorship?

And one thing that Mugabe is very good at is making public statements that he knows will bolster his own standings with the people. In reality what he says is very far from the truth.

"President Robert Mugabe on Sunday said Zimbabwe's diamonds should benefit the entire country, as he urged greedy politicians to blunt their appetite for individual wealth.

"Diamonds should not be pocketed by some individuals," Mugabe told thousands at the funeral of his sister Sabina at a shrine for heroes of Zimbabwe's war of independence.

"They should help to improve the whole country. Those with an appetite for individual aggrandisement, please blunt your appetite. We will ensure there is collective benefit and not individual benefit," he said.

"Leaders must be people-oriented. It's the demands of the people that must be looked at and not those of our pockets."

Since when does someone decide to talk about natural resources at the burial of their own sister?

This is Mugabe playing lip service only - making the right noises - in the hope that some people will swallow his lies.

The diamond find in Zimbabwe has lined the pockets of many people in Zimbabwe, the vast majority of them, ZANU PF.

The diamond find should be big enough the pull the country out of the deep morass that it has fallen into, but Mugabe is quite happy that it remains there - so that he can plunder whatever he wants, while blaming the West on the collapse of the economy. No only should the diamond find finance the rebuilding of Zimbabwe, but it should also put the country shoulder-to-shoulder with many other countries.

But Mugabe and ZANU have made the decision that the natural resources of the country should be for their benefit only - regardless of what he says, and when and where he says it...

"The diamond watchdog Kimberley Process last month approved the export of rough diamonds from the Marange diamond fields in eastern Zimbabwe, which had been suspended over human rights abuses at big diamond fields.

Mugabe said two weeks ago that Zimbabwe was projected to contribute around 25 percent of the global diamond output.

On Sunday, he added that "there are huge prospects for the diamond sub-sector to emerge as a major driver of the country's economic turnaround".

Mining is Zimbabwe's main foreign currency earner. Finance Minister Tendai Biti on July 7 urged Kimberley Process members to clear Zimbabwe to sell its diamonds, saying the government desperately needed the income.

Mugabe also lashed out at the west for maintaining sanctions on Zimbabwe and meddling its politics."

Mugabe can hardly talk - there isn't any politics in Zimbabwe - ZANU PF insist on continuing as if they are the only party in the country and what they say goes...

"We have sent an inclusive delegation to the European Union to seek the removal of the sanctions," Mugabe said. "The delegation came back empty-handed."

"Sanctions must go. They are hurting our people regardless of political affiliation. We are still treated as if we do not own our country, as if Zimbabwe is owned by Europe cum America," he added.

"They say 'remove so and so,' Of course they mean 'Mugabe must go before we can assist you." To hell with them. Hell, hell, hell with them whoever told them they are above the people of Zimbabwe that they decide what Zimbabwe should be and by who it should be ruled."

Robb WJ Ellis

The Bearded Man