National hero ... President Robert Mugabe defended Karakadzai's NRZ deployment
25/08/2013 00:00:00
by Gilbert Nyambabvu
We will hit back, Mugabe tells West
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe launched a new broadside at bitter rival and outgoing Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai Sunday saying working with the MDC-T leader required “real patience and endurance” because he was an ignoramus who was woefully unaware of his ignorance.
The Zanu PF leader was speaking at the National Heroes Acre in Harare during the burial of retired Air Commodore Mike Karakadzai who was also the general manager of the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ).
“You see, an illiterate person who is aware that they are ignorant, you can deal with (them) better,” Mugabe said in apparent reference to Tsvangirai’s lack of college-level education.
“You are better off with an ignorant person who is aware, conscious, of his ignorance, who accepts that he is ignorant, but if you are ignorant of your ignorance inhamo huruhuru; uchifunga kuti kusaziva hungwaru, ah, unopinza vanhu munhamo.
“Kuti mufambidzane muchinzwanana hurukuro dzacho nema ideas acho zvinobva zvasiyana kure kure.”
Mugabe and Tsvangirai worked together over the last four years in an uneasy coalition government formed after a disputed vote in 2008. The arrangement ended with the Zanu PF leader’s decisive victory in last month’s elections which were rejected as fraudulent by Tsvangirai.
The MDC-T challenged the resuls of the presidential elections at the Constitutional Court but later withdrew the petition saying there was no chance of a fair hearing. The court determined the case regardless and ruled that the Mugabe's re-election was "free, fair and credible".
The Zanu PF leader however, said he was baffled that the MDC-T would publicly dismiss the country's judges as biased only to then go to the same courts with its election petitions.
“Ndiani anoti sikiriri kufunhaidza majudge. Vose kutuka asi mangwana wozoenda kwavari kuti ndinenyaya yandinoda kuti muione, vakare vawabva kutuka nezuro? Koruzivo rwaunarwo rwakaita sei? Ndivo vainzi namai vangu dofo chairo iro," he said.
“Munhu ungave dofo kupfuura ipapo? So, well, I hope our country will never get ignoramuses muyine vana vakaenda kuma universities vakaenda kuzvikoro vatinosimudzira. Vamwe vanobva vati ndivo vatinoda, chamunoyemura chii? Harare kuvhotera, Bulawayo kuvhotera, chiendai munopihwa zvamakavhotera ikoko.”
The rival leaders rowed bitterly in the lead-up to the elections over reforms which Tsvangirai insisted were needed to ensure a free and fair ballot, including changes to media and the country’s security establishment which is seen, by the opposition, as fiercely pro-Zanu PF.
And it was the latter demand which Mugabe particularly mocked on Sunday, dismissing his rival was a mere “frog aspiring to be a crocodile”.
He said: “Since when has a frog aspired to be a crocodile? Ehe, tinoruma, takaruma masettlers muno, without those biting teeth we will not have got our country.
“Kozoti iwe unotawuka tawuka zvako uripapa you want to do sector reforms? Zvinosekesa! Knowledge yacho unoiwana kupi? Where did you get the knowledge to do that reform from? Hanzi we must do security sector reforms.
Karakadzai’s deployment to head the NRZ was also one of the so-called militarisation of civilian institutions the MDC-T objected to and wanted stopped.
But Mugabe said the objections were nonsensical, insisting the military and security offers were qualified and had the necessary experience for the roles.
“Men and women with the correct political ideology and military prowess such as Karakadzai formed the backbone of our defence forces at independence,” he said.
“With time, their immense skills came to be deployed variously as the situation demanded. Hence, these military cadres have from time to time been deployed to civilian positions in their various capacities.”
“Karakadzai was retired from the Air Force to go and head one of our critical parastatals, the National Railways of Zimbabwe, as its general manager.
“We have similar examples in other state-owned enterprises. They have brought into these institutions invaluable skills and vital experience which have made great impact on parastatal’s performance and service delivery.
“One gets surprised when our detractors question the wisdom of deploying ex-military officers in State institutions and they describe such deployments as the militarisation of institutions concerned.
“Nothing could be further from the truth. These men and women are role models of valour, patriotism, honesty, industriousness and discipline, all qualities that are beyond reproach.”
Labels: MDC, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, ROBERT MUGABE
posted by MrK @ 6:54 PM
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