Mugabe accuses Bush of giving MDC US$70m

Mugabe accuses Bush of giving MDC US$70m
By George Chellah in Harare, Zimbabwe
Monday June 16, 2008 [04:01]

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has accused US President George Bush of recently giving US $70 million to MDC but vowed that the opposition party will never rule Zimbabwe in his lifetime. And President Mugabe has warned that Zimbabwe's liberation fighters were prepared to go to war to prevent the country from going back to the colonialists.

Addressing mourners at the burial of retired Lieutenant-General Amoth Chingombe at the National Heroes Acre, President Mugabe said Zimbabweans remained mindful of the fact that the country's sovereignty was under threat and challenge.

"The flag is once again threatened. We have become the focus of Britain, America and their European allies. As I address you, Mr. Bush has provided US $70 million for the opposition's use coming through indirect means. Mr. Gordon Brown British Prime Minister continues to interfere in our internal affairs, making us a subject matter of British policy as if we remain a permanent colony of Britain," President Mugabe said. "Once again, we want to make it clear to the British and Americans that we are no one's subject, and never will be. This country shall not again come under the rule and control of the white man, direct or indirect. Never, ever! Let those who are assigned the mission to disturb our peace and stability...those who take instructions from the British and Americans hide, that Rhodesia is gone forever."

President Mugabe said regime change was a matter for Zimbabweans and not the British and Americans.

"We shall never accept anything that smells of a delivered parcel that comes through what they call the MDC here. Those with these ties must severe them if they are to be genuine. Zimbabwe's problems are to be solved by Zimbabweans. The white man is gone and gone forever," President Mugabe said. "Should this country be taken by traitors whilst we are alive? It's impossible, it shall never happen. We are prepared to fight for our country, to go to war for it. If it goes back the way it had gone in the days of Mbuya Nehanda our ancestors."

President Mugabe warned that the land reform was irreversible.

"Anyone who seeks to undermine our land reform, itself the bedrock of our politics from time immemorial seeks and gets war. On these two interrelated matters we are very clear. Let the MDC get this very, very, clearly if they wish to play a role in the politics of this country. Let them drop the white man," President Mugabe said.

"Let them drop the British, drop the Americans, drop the Europeans who play source to their present politics and violent disposition. Let them stop this, their nasty habit of bringing ruin to this nation through sanctions, through accosting an invasion and thus a reversal of our hard-won independence."

He said sovereignty was not and could not ever be a property for any one generation.

"As a people, we must define clear political taboos, clear boundaries for rituals of governance. It cannot be right to sanctify and celebrate the institution of opposition when its politics go against the very essence of our nationhood," President Mugabe said.

"It cannot be right when interests of hostile foreign powers overturn and subvert the will of our people all in the name of democracy. Surely democracy cannot mean the right to pawn sovereignty."

President Mugabe said Zimbabwe would forever hoist its flag of freedom and sovereignty. He also said the late Lieutenant General Chingombe once served as commander of the SADC Task Force in the DRC under 'Operation Sovereign Legitimacy.

"I will never forget how he so ably handled the explosive aftermath of the bloody assassination of our brother President Laurent Desire Kabila. It was a delicate situation but one he so ably handled that it will remain emblazoned in the military history of our country," said President Mugabe.

Lt Gen Chingombe died on June 9, 2008 at Harare's Avenues Clinic after a long illness.