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(NEWZIMBABWE, NEWZANIA) Lesotho PM lavishes praise on Mugabe

Lesotho PM lavishes praise on Mugabe
Arrival ... Motsoahae with security chiefs Augustine Chihuri and Constantine Chiwenga
23/08/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter I NewZiana

LESOTHO Prime Minister Thomas Motsoahae has lavished effusive praise on President Robert Mugabe and declared that Zimbabwe would overcome its problems with the veteran leader at the helm.

Motsoahae, who is in the country on a three-day visit during which he will open the Harare Agricultural Show, described Mugabe as "one of the greatest Pan Africanists in the likes of Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Patrice Lumumba and Nelson Mandela."

"As a result of the difficult and bold decisions that you took, Mr President, Zimbabwe may have gone through hard times economically, but that was the price to be paid," Motsoahae said at a State Banquette in his honour Wednesday.

"Today, many of us in our region acknowledge with admiration the solid foundation that your policies and decisions have built for the economic development of Zimbabwe and her future generations."

Zimbabwe is emerging from a ten-year recession characterised by world record inflation and a near-economic collapse which forced more than a million people to escape to neighbouring countries and overseas to countries such as the Australia, New Zealand the UK and the UK.

[Not to forget the economic sanctions that caused this economic destruction. The Zimbabwean government has been under a credit freeze since Jan. 1st 2002, through Section 4C of the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001. - MrK]

But Motsoahae said the country was poised for a political and economic rebound with Mugabe in charge.

“History will record that the people of Zimbabwe were lucky to have you as a leader at that critical time in the history of their nationhood,” he said.

“I dare say you were the only leader, at that moment in history, with sufficient political credentials, stature and tenacity to withstand the pressures that were unleashed by those who wanted to prove that Zimbabwe was wrong to assert its independence, and to fully reverse the injustices of colonialism.

"We in Lesotho are confident that with a person of your calibre and vision at the helm of Zimbabwe, this country is destined to overcome obstacles placed in its path of development, to be among the best economic performers in our region and to restore itself as an important political centre.”

The Lesotho premier said his country, which has been following developments in Zimbabwe with "interest, sympathy and admiration", wants to see sanctions imposed by the West and blamed by Mugabe for the country’s problems lifted.

“Despite the limited relaxation of sanctions by countries of the European Union, we continue to call for the lifting of all sanctions against this sisterly country,” he said.

Motshoahae is scheduled to open the Harare Agricultural Show on Friday.

Labels: HARARE AGRICULTURAL SHOW, LESOTHO, PANAFRICANISM, ROBERT MUGABE

posted by MrK @ 9:11 PM