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(NEWZIMBABWE) Only a dead imperialist is a good imperialist - Mugabe

Only a dead imperialist is a good imperialist: Mugabe
by Staff Reporter
27/03/2011 00:00:00

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has blasted Western involvement in the Libyan crisis where the United States and some European countries are using air strikes to shore up rebels fighting the regime of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

Speaking at the burial of Zanu PF politburo member, David Karimanzira who died at a Harare hospital last Thursday, Mugabe dismissed the Western intervention in the crisis as imperialist aggression.

“Only a dead imperialist is a good one, look at what they are doing in North Africa now, only a dead one is good and that’s the only one I can talk to," he said.

He added that it was futile to appease "imperialist" Western powers adding Gaddafi was realising the lessons of that folly.

"Look at what they are doing to Gaddafi. He tried to appease them by giving them access to (oil) resources, by investing money with Western financial institutions but they have turned on him," he said of his former political ally.

The veteran Zimbabwean leader also slammed sanctions against the country and insisted the country was being punished for giving land to the landless majority.

“We did not break any laws when we were taking our land back, it could have been a crime if we had broken their limbs but we did not do that so there’s no crime in that,” said Mugabe.

Karimanzira who was also the Zanu PF finance chief and governor of Harare province was declared a national hero by the party’s main decision making body, the politburo.

Addressing mourners at his funeral wake in Harare Mugabe also dismissed criticism of the Heroes selection process which critics say is decidedly partisan and designed to reward party loyalists.

The Zanu PF leader said those unhappy with the process were free to establish separate shrines to honour their own heroes.

Speaking in shona, Mugabe said: "Kune vamwe vakati toda kuendesawo vedu ikoko, asi takati kwete. Zvikomo zvakazara munyika muno. Ngavatsvagewo chavo chikomo vavigane ikoko”.

Mugabe reiterated the postion on Sunday insisitng that the heroes shrine located just outside Harare was a resting place for those who sacrificed their lives to liberate the country and warned that the "enemy is still finding ways to destabilise the land reform programme through using some unpatriotic Zimbabweans".

Labels: DAVID KARIMANZIRA, LIBYA, MUAMMAR AL-GADDAFI, NEOCOLONIALISM, ROBERT MUGABE

posted by MrK @ 5:44 PM