Maravi

The West has openly demonstrated its real intention on Zim, says Mugab

The West has openly demonstrated its real intention on Zim, says Mugab
By George Chellah in Harare, Zimbabwe
Friday July 18, 2008 [04:00]

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has accused the West of openly demonstrating its real and destructive intentions on the Zimbabwean people. And Zimbabwe's annual rate of inflation has hit a record high of 2.2 million per cent. During the launch of the national basic commodities supply enhancement programme on Wednesday, President Mugabe said some people had attempted to mislead the world over the sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe.

"For a long time, some have sought to argue and misinform the world that Zimbabwe is not under sanctions, and to give the impression that the people were turning against their own government," President Mugabe said. " In their haste to salvage their doomed regime change agenda, the West has, however, now openly demonstrated to the world its real destructive intentions on the Zimbabwean people."

He thanked Zimbabweans for the solidarity and confidence they reaffirmed in him during the controversial presidential runoff.

"Through the power of the ballot, Zimbabweans have resoundingly demonstrated to the world that we hold dear the fruits of our independence and sovereignty," he said.

President Mugabe also took the opportunity to reveal his plans of mitigating the people's suffering after his re-election.

"With the elections now over, government is harnessing all the capacity in our own God-given resources to counteract the impact of the illegal sanctions on our people," President Mugabe said. "Indeed, it would be a betrayal of our people to leave them to suffer at the hands of selfish interests of those responsible for the unjustified steep increases of the prices of basic and essential commodities and their perennial shortage on the market."

He said under the national basic commodities supply enhancement programme, the government would embark on the programme of supplying basic commodities directly to the people to bring relief to them as measures were being taken to vigorously revitalise the country's productive sectors.

"To ensure direct and effective reach to the people, the basic commodities are being distributed to communities at their local service centres, including schools and clinics," President Mugabe said. "This programme will cater for both rural and urban areas, as government deepens its efforts to confront the prevailing shortages of basic commodities. Thus, under this programme all provinces, districts, wards and villages will be covered to ensure that every household in need benefits."

President Mugabe said the programme would also extend to boarding schools and hospitals.

"Since food is the major cost in running boarding schools, the availability of food at reasonable prices should reduce the need for topping up school fees," President Mugabe said. "As government, it is our responsibility to stand in defence against threats to the welfare of our communities, particularly in the areas of food availability and accessibility to other basic necessities."

He said his government attached great importance to its solemn commitment towards fulfilling its promises to the electorate.
"In launching this historic programme, government is thus sending a very strong message to corporate sector that the era of unjustified price increases has come to an end," he said.

President Mugabe said the country's declared battle against the scourge of high inflation must be accomplished on the battlefront of increasing its overall production levels.

"Whilst all these efforts take effect, the resolve and unity of purpose by all Zimbabweans should remain the binding fabric that will enable us to withstand the adverse impact of the illegal sanctions imposed by the Western countries," said President Mugabe.

And Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor Dr Gideon Gono said the national basic commodities supply enhancement programme was only one of the interventions that were being put in place to respond to challenges in the country's economy.

"We want to confront market failure with market instruments. These will also deal with market indiscipline by way of profiteering and side-marketing at the expense of the real consumer," Dr Gono said.
He said the programme was apolitical and no forms of discrimination would be used in the distribution process.

And Dr Gono revealed that Zimbabwe's annual rate of inflation had hit a record high of 2.2 million per cent.

"Statistics provided by the CSO - the Central Statistics Office - indicate that it is now at 2.2 million per cent," said Dr Gono.

The latest inflation figure is the first one to be released by the authorities since the announcement of the inflation rate for February, which stood at165,000 per cent.

Labels: COLOUR REVOLUTIONS, MUGABE, NEOCOLONIALISM, ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 6:50 AM