Maravi

(NEWZIMBABWE) Mugabe chides ‘filthy’ Britain, says polls to go ahead
Preparation ... President Robert Mugabe looks through his speech with wife, Grace
15/07/2013 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe took his campaign to Marondera in Mashonaland East on Monday – scene of MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s campaign launch a week ago – as he returned to familiar themes.

The Zanu PF leader’s aides said the rally was shifted hours earlier from inside Rudhaka Stadium – where Tsvangirai held his – to the open ground outside after realising the 5,000-seater stadium could not take the thousands who turned up.

So far, the election race has been a game of numbers and Mugabe – who is addressing just one “star rally” in each of the country’s 10 provinces – has been outpacing the MDC-T leader who has a gruelling schedule of no less than 60 rallies countrywide.

Most of Tsvangirai’s stops, especially the mid-week rallies, turn out small, giving the state-media, led by the ZBC, much political fodder as they juxtapose with Mugabe’s provincial rallies where Zanu PF’s financial muscle has been brought to bear: every supporter is given a cap, T-Shirt and a scarf. Which strategy will win will be revealed on July 31, when Zimbabweans go to polls to choose their next government.

After beginning his campaign in Chiweshe, Mashonaland Central, last week with a speech centred on domestic manifesto issues – land, indigenisation and safeguarding “gains” of the liberation struggle – Mugabe returned to familiar ground as he railed against what he says are British attempts to interfere with Zimbabwe’s elections.
The British are “dishonest” and “filthy aggressors”, he stormed.

“The British are busy scheming. Their talk, their nonsensical talk about their preparations to manage transition in Zimbabwe, what nonsensical transition are they talking about?

“There shall never be any transition from the rule of our people to any other. The people power which drove you out in 1980 still remains, and will remain holding Zimbabwe together,” Mugabe said.

“There will never be that nonsensical British transition. Keep it to yourselves, filthy aggressors! Hatidi izvozvo! (We don’t want that!) Leave us alone. We’re our own masters.

“The land you till, you live on, should be a constant reminder that Zimbabwe is yours. You, the people, are Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is yours. Go climb the tallest tree and tell everyone: you are Zimbabwe.”

Mugabe took aim at MDC rival Welshman Ncube, whom he accuses of seeking an African Union summit to discuss the Zimbabwean elections. Mugabe says his rivals still want the elections postponed, even at this late hour.

“Right now, after failing to get SADC’s attention, they have taken their attempts to postpone our elections to the AU, our former Organisation of African Union. We have instructed Patrick Chinamasa (Justice Minister) to go to the AU on July 19 and tell them that the election will not be postponed. Over our dead bodies!

“They will see our true colours. It will never happen. The dishonest and absolutely deceitful British are supporting that.

“Is that democracy? No! Democracy requires that constitutionally, every five years we must have elections and the country is now due for another election. And this is an election we must have by July 31. That will not change.”

Labels: 2013 ELECTIONS (ZW), ROBERT MUGABE, ZANU-PF

posted by MrK @ 4:25 PM