Posted on 03/23/2007 9:36:10 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe dismissed claims Friday that his rule was in its final throes while a longtime opponent renewed calls for a peaceful campaign to oust him.
The government warned foreign and local correspondents about their coverage of unrest in the country, threatening action against Zimbabwean journalists and singling out CNN for what it called biased reporting.
Mugabe, addressing women and youth from the ruling party in Harare, denied opposition claims that his people and forces were no longer loyal and his government was nearing its end, state television reported. He said that at his age and with his experience, he could not be pushed out.
"The opposition is always calling for change, change, change," he said. "I am not pink. I don't want a pink nose. I can't change. I don't want to be European. I want to be African."
Mugabe, 83, has ruled Zimbabwe for 27 years since independence but is under increasing pressure to step down. The country has seen seven years of political and economic turmoil since often-violent seizures of thousands of white-owned commercial farms began in 2000, disrupting the agriculture-based economy in the former regional breadbasket.
Tensions are said to be rising within his party over his succession, which could topple him faster than street battles with a reinvigorated and determined political opposition.
Washington has frequently criticized Mugabe for cracking down on the opposition and other rights violations.
Mugabe said the west was supporting violence by the opposition because it wanted to re-colonize Zimbabwe.
"They want our gold, our platinum, our land. These are ours forever," he said. "I will stand and fight for our rights of sovereignty. We fought for our country to be free. These resources will remain ours forever. Let this be understood to those in London."
Mugabe also warned political leaders: "If you are a violent man, you will meet more violence from the police."
Earlier on Friday, Zimbabwean Catholic Archbishop of Bulawayo Pius Ncube repeated a call for street protests that he made a day earlier.
"This dictator must be brought down right now," Ncube said at a meeting of the Solidarity Peace Trust, headed by church leaders working for human rights in Zimbabwe. "If we can get 30,000 on the streets, then Mugabe will come down. I am ready to lead it. But my wish is to avoid violence."
Ncube has long been an ardent critic of Mugabe but efforts by him in the past to rally Zimbabweans have not led to mass protests.
Arthur Mutambara, leader of a Zimbabwean opposition faction, told a trade union meeting in Johannesburg that events of the last few weeks had unified the opposition and he supported calls for further protests.
"We are going to drive Mugabe out of power through collaboration and working together." Mutambara said.
Meanwhile, the government warned foreign reporters to beware of authorities and "stay away from the security forces," according to state media reports.
The Information Ministry told Zimbabwean reporters working for foreign organizations to do the same, and to avoid opposition politicians.
"Should this not stop, government may be forced to act against them," and any politicians they speak to, the ministry said.
The Zimbabwean media criticized CNN — which is already banned from the country — for its reporting on the alleged assault and torture this month of opposition leaders including Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the main Movement for Democratic Change.
The government called CNN a tool of American foreign policy.
"Sadly CNN has embedded itself within such a treacherous imperialist policy ... it can no longer validate its claim to be a trusted source of accurate and balanced news opinion," the Information Ministry said in a statement.
Both state television and radio have harshly criticized CNN's Africa correspondent, Jeff Koinange, now doing most of his reporting on Zimbabwe from outside the country.
"We stand by our reporting of the situation in Zimbabwe and look forward to being given the opportunity to report from inside the country," CNN spokeswoman Megan Mahoney said.
Four foreign journalists have been expelled under sweeping media laws that began to be strictly enforced in 2003. The British Broadcasting Corp. is officially banned. Scores of independent local journalists have been assaulted or arrested and jailed under the media laws.
___
Associated Press Writer Brandon Reed contributed to this report.
Ruling party supporters listen as Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe, unseen, addresses them at his party's headquarters in Harare, Zimbabwe, Friday Friday March, 23, 2007. Mugabe lashed out at the opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, Britain and America for causing economic problems in his country and blaming them for fanning the current spate of violence. Dell refers to U.S. Ambassador Christopher Dell who is currently out of the country. (AP Photo)
May he go the way of Mussolini and Ceaucescu,, and soon...
Ditto. That would be the only way they get rid of him.
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Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe addresses supporters at his party's headquarters in Harare, Zimbabwe, Friday March 23, 2007. Mugabe lashed out at the opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, Britain and America for causing economic problems in his country and blaming them for fanning the current spate of violence. (AP Photo)
In this file photo, Australian Prime Minister John Howard gestures during a joint news conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Baghdad March 17, 2007. Howard said on Friday he was out of patience with Zimbabwe strongman Robert Mugabe and defended an Australian diplomat who escorted Mugabe opponents to safety. (Wathiq Khuzaie/Pool/Reuters)
Exiled Zimbabweans demonstrate in Johannesburg. A global outcry over Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's crackdown on opposition leaders has placed an uncomfortable spotlight on South Africa's policy of "quiet diplomacy" towards its troubled neighbour.(AFP/File/Gianluigi Guercia)
LMAO!
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe seen in this Wednesday, March 2, 2005 file photo in Harare. Mugabe is fighting for his political life in a behind-the-scenes power struggle within his own party that could oust him faster than street battles with a reinvigorated and determined political opposition. (AP Photo)
Hundreds of local activists of the Social Movements Indaba protest in the streets of Durban, 21 March 2007. Zimbabwe sought to shore up faltering African support Thursday as global pressure intensified on under-fire President Robert Mugabe over his government's draconian crackdown on opposition leaders.(AFP/File/Rajesh Jantilal)
Mugabe Shrine under Construction in Zimbabwe
The Zimbabwe government announced plans to build a massive shrine to President Robert Mugabe in the President’s home district of Zvimba. A senior government source said that Mugabe wants construction of the shrine to start as soon as possible. The Zimbabwean dictator has already instructed the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to raise US$400 000 in foreign currency to buy elephant dung for the project.
Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo, who has been selected to oversee the construction of the shrine, said the project is his top priority. “Look, President Mugabe is 83 years-old,” Chombo observed. “He can’t last much longer. It’s important to get this done before he’s gone. Otherwise, I see no way it can be done.”
Chombo said he has conferred with Mugabe and is confident he understands his mission. “President Mugabe is anxious that his people have an impressive statue of him that they can pull down once he is out of power,” Chombo said. “He told me he wants to join the ranks of notables like Stalin and Lenin whose people had the pleasure of tearing down their statues. To ordinary people this may sound crazy, but that is why they are ordinary while President Mugabe is great.”
In related news, Zimbabwe’s inflation rate is expected to top 5000% this year. Currency that was worth one dollar at the beginning of the year will be worth about two cents by the end of the year. The regime attributes this accomplishment to its program to “stamp out capitalistic materialism.” “Money is the root of all evil,” said Finance Minister Umbe Beggarbo. “We are destroying this evil to save our people from the temptations of wealth.”
read more...
http://www.azconservative.org/Semmens1.htm
Translation: Do I have my French visa yet?
Doncha miss the good ole days when the CIA could make old racist pig tyrants like this guy go "poof" ?
I hope they do to him what the Liberians did to Samuel Doe.
Totally loony.
And Evil.
He's got that little Hitler thing down real well.....
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