Posted on 09/18/2005 7:03:43 AM PDT by LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget
New York - The African leader some call a hero and others a destructive despot suggests people in his country aren't hungry, they just can't eat their favourite food.
President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, said in an interview with The Associated Press that his people are "very, very happy" though aid agencies report 4 million of 11.6 million face famine.
"You describe it as if we have a whole cemetery," Mugabe said of a reporter's description of the southern African nation's dire straits, blaming "continuous years of drought."
The problem is reliance on corn, he said during Friday's interview, "but it doesn't mean we haven't other things to eat: We have heaps of potatoes but people are not potato eaters ... they have rice but they're not as attracted (to that)."
But the cost of potatoes is beyond the pocket of ordinary Zimbabweans.
Internationally, Mugabe has become a pariah and looked set for further isolation at the weekend, when the US government said it was preparing travel sanctions against him, his government and family members, prohibiting them from travelling to the United States.
That would be punishment for alleged gross human rights abuses, including torture of opponents, and theft of elections, most recently in March.
Recently the Zimbabwean government indicated that it will take a stake in private mining enterprises to ensure Zimbabweans benefit from their natural resources.
Mugabe said he expects companies mining there, including the multinational Anglo American, to understand that desire.
"What we intend to do is for the state to have a stake in the production of some of our minerals - gold, platinum, diamonds," he said.
"We just want to be partners. We are not doing anything unusual, and this is the practice in many countries." Zimbabwe also mines coal, chromium ore, asbestos, nickel, copper, iron ore, vanadium, lithium and tin.
Mugabe, 81, said he has fulfilled all his ambitions except retirement. He plans to stop being president in 2008, and write and farm, but said he'll remain in politics until he dies.
"I can't retire from that unless the Almighty says 'enough is enough'."
Ping
Idiot.
He had better be careful tempting the Almighty.
-
He's already got slots allocated for him in the 8th level of hell.
Teach a man to grow potatoes and he'll never be hungry.
Comrade Mugabe:
Your people are saying it whenever they get the chance. They are voting with their feet by the thousands.
It bears repeating in Shona:
Zvakwana!
Read this yet?
http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/Zimbabwe/0,,2-11-1662_1772533,00.html
Johannesburg - The anticipated influx of Zimbabwean economic refugees has already started and rural areas in Limpopo are being overwhelmed by hordes of immigrants seeking work and food.
A City Press investigation has revealed that villagers in many parts of the province have opened up their hearts and homes to the refugees, but now fear that they are being swamped.
Refugee numbers are a major concern for the security services and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) has commissioned an audit to establish the extent of the problem.
NIA boss Billy Masetla said the flooding of the Limpopo border by Zimbabwean immigrants was a "huge concern". He said it was difficult to estimate the number of immigrants, a factor which had necessitated the survey.
Masetla said instead of a security problem, the influx constituted "a crisis of the human element".
Police in the area told City Press that at least 100 immigrants were arrested daily in the Vhembe district alone. At Matangari village, villagers called in the police to move out immigrants after complaints that they were about to outnumber locals.
At Tshivhilwi, where we found groups of men living in plastic hovels in bushes near the village, there were concerns that about 200 people had arrived on two consecutive days. Villagers also called a meeting in Madombidzha, near Makhado, where a resolution was taken to expel Zimbabweans.
Masetla said he did not believe the immigrants posed a national security risk at the moment although a few did get involved in criminal activities.
"We are not facing a situation where you see huge numbers crossing together and wanting refugee status," he said.
"These are people looking for piece jobs and you can see they hope to return home when things get better. They actually migrate and the number of trucks, taxis and buses ferrying people here to buy basic things increases daily.
"We hope the political intervention will give rise to the possibility of halting the economic meltdown."
He said the intelligence community reported regularly to home affairs and the police about its observations.
While the problem is not confined to a specific area in Limpopo, Musina and areas closer to Thohoyandou appear to be most affected by the influx.
Police spokesperson superintendent Ailwei Mushavhanamadi said the influx was a "very serious problem" in the Thohoyandou area.
"On average we arrest about 100 a day," he said, adding that the problem was more serious in Musina.
He said illegal immigrants were deported 48 hours after arrest.
Residents of Tshivhilwi village, about 30km east of Thohoyandou, said there were about 2 000 Zimbabweans there.
Humbulani Rasilingwani, chairperson of water and electricity of the local civic association, said: "It is a crisis. Recently the issue of Zimbabweans was discussed at the headman's kraal. One resident said he saw about 80 of them crossing the river into our village in one instance. A day before, he had seen about the same number.
"It appears there are people who are not aware of the seriousness of this matter. It is extremely serious. It is actually threatening."
In a bid to legalise the entry of Zimbabweans into South Africa, Lesley Mashokwe, spokespserson for the department of home affairs, said negotiations were under way with Zimbabwe to scrap visa requirements.
His people should put Mugabe in a pot.
A volkerwanderung can overwhelm the territories into which it moves.
Mbeki is a fool.
If it were whites destroying a country the international community would be horrified- Zimbabwe is a sad, vivid reminder how socialism destroys all that it touches. Ayn Rand was so right.... Will the UN take notice??? Only now are we taking away Mugabe's travel privileges????? Sad and sick.
What would you feed the chickens?
Year Age at
slaughter
(days) Broiler
weight (kg) Feed
conversion
ratio (kg)
1950 84 1.36 3.40
1965 63 1.59 2.25
1975 49 1.73 2.00
1977 47 1.90 1.95
1988 42 2.00 1.85
Also, feed to meat conversion ratio is good, but still a net loss. As of 1988, it took 1.85 Kilos of feed to make one Kilo of meat.
There isnt enough chicken feed to feed the people... (corn) Were it fed to chickens, you would end up with about half the chicken meat as you had corn.
http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/irol/65/65476/reports/04_05_factbook.pdf
Page 7
Even Tyson in 2005 was seeing only 1.9 ratios.
Something that cannot come soon enough.
A .308 thru the temple would be Mugabee's just retirement.
Thank you for the information. I was thinking that chicken would be more healthful than twice as much corn or potatoes. There would not be as much wasting of muscle and maybe more resistance to disease.
"How is Tuesday for you, Robert, my son?"
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