Maravi

(TALKZIMBABWE) President Mugabe's speech at Heroes' Acre

President Mugabe's speech at Heroes' Acre
By: Our reporter
Posted: Monday, August 2, 2010 11:18 am

BELOW are extracts of President Mugabe's speech at the Heroes Acre on Sunday. He was speaking at the burial of his sister, national heroine Cde Sabina Mugabe who died of cancer last week.
__________________________________________

"Sanctions must go. We are still being treated as if we don't own this country.

"The inclusive delegation paid a visit to Europe and came back empty-handed. We are still treated as if we do not own the country. They say remove Mugabe first and then we relate with you. We cannot behave as if Europe and America owns Zimbabwe.

"To hell, hell, hell, hell, with them," he said to applause and ululation from the large crowd.

"Only Zimbabweans have the right to elect the country’s leadership.

"The progressive world continued to support Zimbabwe despite the Western hostility.

"The majority of people are in Asia and Africa. We are the majority in this world and we call ourselves the non-aligned. We have right on our side and the right is mighty.

"This is the fight we must continue to make, but let us make it in a united way . . . There should not be people doubting their strengths; doubting whether they own Zimbabwe or not . . .

"We are Zimbabweans and not Europeans, not Americans.

"Zimbabweans are peace-loving people who want good relations with other countries.

"Those who do not want to be friends with us, please keep away.

"We have this one country that must remain ours beyond our generation, ours forever. We have this one independence that must remain in our hands so we can pass it on to the caring hands of those to come — our children and grandchildren.

"We have natural resources which the good Lord gave us so we can survive, live and thrive on them, we of this land, before we pass them on to those to come after us.

"We are caretakers of this country, this one independence, these abundant resources, for generations to come. Shall we be good stewards who jealously guard this great and only such gift from God?

"Or shall we be the bad stewards who sleep on guard, allowing colonial thieves to break in and steal our national estate thus robbing generations to come.

"We carry this heavy burden which we must bear and deliver with dignity so those who come after us do not curse and spit on our graves.

"The country is now in our hands. It is ours and we hold on to it unperturbed by unsolicited advice from knowing outsiders whose record reveals ill-will against our people.

"They cannot be good to us today when they could not be good to us yesterday.

"They detained us, jailed us, shot at us, bombed us, and slaughtered us in our hundreds. We bore the brunt of their cruelties and shall never forget," he said.

The West wants Zimbabwe to remain perpetually in bondage.

"Their appetite grows with every feeding and will thus not be satiated. Their wish is that we remain landless forever, occupied as labourers until kingdom come.

"This is the meaning of their evil sanctions on us which they do not want to remove."

"Let us show the same sense of national purpose in fighting sanctions. They are real; they are hurting our people regardless of political affiliation.

"Europe and America want to keep those sanctions not for our benefit, but for their strategic interests here. We do not matter at all. This is why it is important that we speak with one voice," he said.

I am happy that all members of the inclusive Government were starting to appreciate the importance of resource ownership.

"Thank you Prime Minister Tsvangirai, Thank you Deputy Prime Minister Mutambara. It is the fate of our people, the fate of our children that must worry us (not) the fate of individuals who come and go.

"The child of an erstwhile colonial slave must now rise and become a landowner, miner, industrialist, banker, owner of this conglomerate Zimbabwe Limited.

"Otherwise what use is this independence which people like Sabina suffered for? Of what use would be a Zimbabwe which keeps its children on the margins, wallowing in poverty as before?" he asked.

"Zimbabwe’s diamonds must first and foremost benefit the nation as a whole and not just a few individuals.

"Madiamonds haasi anosungirwa kuiswa muhomwe nevanhuwo zvavo. Madiamonds enyika auya to add to our thrust of liberation. Those are the fruits we are reaping; the fruits of the struggle..

"Government will ensure the nation benefits from diamonds."

Labels: DIAMONDS, MUGABE, NEOCOLONIALISM, SPEECHES

posted by MrK @ 4:41 PM