Maravi

(NEWZIMBABWE) Mugabe hits out at 'irrelevant' and 'stupid' Bush

Mugabe hits out at 'irrelevant' and 'stupid' Bush
Posted to the web: 23/12/2008 14:43:53

ZIMBABWEAN President Robert Mugabe on Tuesday dismissed US calls for him to quit as "stupid," saying they represented "the last kicks of dying horse" as George W. Bush prepares to leave the White House.

"Only two days ago, the American administration declared that they are no longer accepting the process of an inclusive government. The inclusive government does not include Mr Bush and his administration," Mugabe told supporters at the burial of national hero Retired Major Gordon Sibanda.

"Let him keep his comments to himself. They are undeserved, irrelevant, quite stupid and foolish," he said.

Mugabe's comments came two days after the US assistant secretary of state for African Affairs, Jendayi Frazer, said the Bush administration had lost confidence in the power-sharing pact between Mugabe and the opposition.

"These are the last kicks of a dying horse. We obviously are not going to pay attention to a sunset administration. Zimbabwe's fate lies in the hands of Zimbabweans."

"Warmongers, African leaders are not foolish" and "Respect Zimbabwe's right to self-determination" were among banners displayed at the burial.

Earlier Tuesday, Mugabe's spokesman George Charamba criticised the Bush government's declaration of a loss of confidence in Mugabe as a "diplomatic flute."

The top United States envoy for Africa, Jendayi Frazer, said on Sunday in Pretoria that Zimbabwe's September power-sharing deal could not work with Mugabe as president.

"We have lost confidence in the power-sharing deal being a success with Mugabe in power. He has lost touch with reality," she said.

Frazer was in the South African capital to consult with regional leaders about the deteriorating political and economic crises in Zimbabwe, now also in the grip of a cholera epidemic that has already claimed more than 1,120 lives, according to the United Nations.

Mugabe is "completely discredited" and southern African leaders want to know "how do they facilitate a return to democracy without creating a backlash like a military coup or some sort of civil war," she said.

Last week, Mugabe described Frazer as a "little girl" who was out of touch with reality in Zimbabwe and the rest of the world.

"She thinks that Africans are idiots, litle kids who cannot think for themselves," Mugabe, 84, said in Bindura while opening the ruling Zanu PF's national conference.

Harare also threw verbal rocks at the British government which has called on Mugabe to go.

Charamba said that Gordon Brown's administration was also on its way out in Britain and that the prime minister was trying to gain relevance back home through "posturing" on Zimbabwe.

France has also called for Mugabe to quit the office he has occupied since 1980 when Zimbabwe attained independence from Britain.

And this week, while former Australian prime minister Malcolm Fraser called on neighbouring South Africa to cut off Zimbabwe's electricity supply to force Mugabe to relinquish power, the US said it would consult its allies on the imposition of international asset freezes and other sanctions against his government.

But analysts warn that the hardening US and British stance could be interpreted as neo-colonial posturing by African leaders whose support is vital in finding a solution to the Zimbabwe crisis.

"The only likelihood is that they (African leaders) will harden in their stand against so-called Western imperialism," said John Makumbe, a political scientist at the University of Zimbabwe. - AFP

Labels: GEORGE BUSH, JENDAYI FRASER, MUGABE, NEOCOLONIALISM

posted by MrK @ 11:56 PM