Empowerment unstoppable: President Mugabe
By: NNN-NEW ZIANA-TZG
Posted: Tuesday, April 6, 2010 4:26 pm
THE Zimbabwe government will press ahead with plans to economically empower the country’s indigenous people, says President Robert Mugabe.
Speaking after meeting Julius Malema, president of the youth wing of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) of neighbouring South Africa on Monday, President Mugabe said after successfully redistributing land, the government would now focus on opening critical sectors of the economy to indigenous Zimbabweans.
“Economic empowerment must proceed to other areas, other sectors, mainly mining, manufacturing, transport and utilities. These are the areas we want to address as government,” he said.
“The land reform has gone very well, we now have to proceed to other areas, and our people should be in control of their resources.”
He said the thrust of the policy was to elevate local people from holding influential positions in foreign owned companies into becoming major shareholders.
“Our people cannot be content by being chief executive officers in companies, rather they should become masters, we want our people to be owners of their resources,” said President Mugabe.
The shared political ties between President Mugabe’s Zanu-PF and the ANC, he added, were nurtured and strengthened through shared values in the struggle against colonialism.
He said the relationship between the two political parties had further been cemented by the continuing struggle against neo-colonialism. “Our relationship with the ANC is multi-faceted, first, we fought in the same trenches against colonialism, you might have called it Apartheid but it is colonialism,” he noted.
“Our alliance is strong in defending our heritage, it is about rescuing it from the grip of colonialism.”
He bemoaned the fading spirit of solidarity amongst African leaders in the face of Western manipulation. Most African leaders, he added, were being bribed by western governments.
“Much of Africa today is just saying ‘yes’, ‘yes’ to the western powers, they are given money and they are told the do’s and don’t’s. Our founding fathers must be turning in their graves,” he said. — NNN-NEW ZIANA-TZG
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