State Media- President Robert Mugabe yesterday said anyone unhappy with his constitutional stay in power should condemn the people of Zimbabwe as they are the ones who gave him the mandate to govern the country since 1980, adding that his successor should be people-oriented and someone ready to defend the country from latter-day neo-colonialism being propelled by the West.
Speaking in a wide-ranging interview with Japanese journalists here yesterday, President Mugabe said health permitting, he would stand as the Zanu-PF presidential candidate in 2018 if the people decided so.
“He (successor) must be a good leader all the time, a leader who is people oriented,” said President Mugabe, “a leader who listens to the voices of the people, who takes care of the people, who thinks of the people before he thinks of himself. He should be a leader who is really directed and governed by the wishes of the people. This is what I have tried to be. This is what our Government has tried to be.”
President Mugabe added: “When we waged the struggle it was a people struggle for the freedom of our people and that should remain the objective of the leaders in the future. (He needs) to be people oriented to push that the people remain as free as possible and defend and protect them against any outsider.”
To lead the country for the past 36 years, President Mugabe said, was because of Zimbabweans who successively elected him to drive their empowerment agenda.
President Mugabe said anyone with a problem with the decision of the majority was free to criticise them “if they don’t like my long stay in power they should criticise my people, I do not vote for myself into power,” he said.
“You just go to Zimbabwe now and ask the people whether I should stand down. They will be angry with you.”
Asked if he was fit for the Presidency at the moment and in 2018, President Mugabe said: “At the moment I am the President that’s why (I am here). Do you see me as not fit? Why not contest two years later?
“Two years later is no time but only God knows what will happen in two years’ time, 2018, I don’t know, it will depend. If I am fit enough, yes, but If I am not fit enough I will not. My people will want me to be a candidate and they have already nominated me as a candidate for 2018.”
President Mugabe said Zimbabwe abounded with ivory and Government would ensure it benefits everyone.
“We have got elephants and they carry ivory and I want that ivory to benefit Zimbabwe. So I will comply with the rules set for us to trade in ivory,” he said.
He said the forthcoming sixth edition of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) IV to be held in Kenya in August should unite Africa and Japan as they pushed for their development.
“With TICAD, you don’t just get socio-economic friends, you build also social business as indeed you build allies in development, in humanitarian endeavour and the creation of the world of peace and harmony. If we can begin with Africa as a peaceful continent that will be a stepping stone to possible world peace in the future although world peace, as we see now, will take us a long time to establish with so much terrorism taking place especially on the European continent.”
He said the strained relationship between China and Japan would not affect Zimbabwe’s relationship with the two countries.
“We are friends of China,” he said. “During the liberation struggle they supported us and we owe them that support but that does not mean our friendship with China excludes friendship with Japan. No! I know you are not good friends because of the past history of fighting but that is your row. As far as we are concerned we want to be a good friend with you as far as we are with everyone else.”
Asked on relations with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un, President Mugabe said: “We have lost connection with North Korea. If North Korea would want to re-establish connections, I suppose we reciprocate. We do not hate any country or distaste any people. We make friends with those who want to be friends with us but it doesn’t mean that we should follow all their ways. Friendship is friendship on terms that are reciprocal.”
Asked about his perception of Donald Trump, the Republican candidate for the United States elections this year, President Mugabe said many thought he would be the joke of the year but he was pulling surprises.
Some of his utterances though, the President said, were a “bit off guard”.
“I notice he is winning in some cases,” he said. “He had a difficult time in Chicago but elsewhere he should guard his speeches more but I am not the one to teach Americans how to behave.” -State Media
12 Replies to “Mugabe Talks On Stepping Down”
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In the land of the blind—-
a one eyed man is king. What’s wrong with us? The man is really taking the
biscuit! He actually thinks Zimbabweans wouldn’t survive without him and the
tragedy is, some educated looking fellow countrymen believe him. Someone
actually took time to write that he has done a lot. Yes, a lot of damage. Man
we got a problem. Without renewal no progress can be made in any nation. Look
at our favoured friends, the Chinese, they are making sure that every ten years
a new face comes to the front. Before Deng Xiaoping,
president 1978-92, nothing was moving.
He realised that things had to change. No need to mention the Soviet Union and
that other Donald Trump, sorry Putin who wants to take Russia to the time of
the Tsars. He and his mafia knock each other off in London, buy football
clubs and mansions in the west and even fight their divorce cases in London.
They don’t, like our leaders, bank in their home banks but the west they
perennially condemn. I am afraid and ashamed to admit that Russians, like us
Africans, are only consumers and don’t make anything. It hurts. At least the
Indians and Chinese can copy someone else’ idea. Never bought or seen anything with a ‘Made in Russia’
tag. Not even Vodka! Am I playing Russian roulette here? Food for thought.
Can
you imagine Nigeria is now getting, from Switzerland, a little bit of the
billions of what Abacha siphoned as leader. Our own dear leader, whenever he
suffers an itch on the bum jumps on a plane for the Far East. This after nearly
forty years as leader and they can’t build a first class hospital in their own
country, even if it is used by the elite. Shame. And ‘he has done a lot’, the
writer had the temerity to say. Julius Nyerere spent 6 months in a coma at St.
Thomas’ hospital London before he died and the body then shipped home. He was
in power for twenty years. The less we mention Zuma down south the better
because like most of the continent’s leaders, he is rushing straight to the
scene of the accident. If he ANC manages to change the constitution. Again,
what’s wrong with us? Here is a prediction, Mugabe won’t die in his bed in the
State House but, in a plane. And I am not a prophet/ profit!
Simon M Tozvireva.
In the land of the blind—-
a one eyed man is king. What’s wrong with us? The man is really taking the
biscuit! He actually thinks Zimbabweans wouldn’t survive without him and the
tragedy is, some educated looking fellow countrymen believe him. Someone
actually took time to write that he has done a lot. Yes, a lot of damage. Man
we got a problem. Without renewal no progress can be made in any nation. Look
at our favoured friends, the Chinese, they are making sure that every ten years
a new face comes to the front. Before Deng Xiaoping,
president 1978-92, nothing was moving.
He realised that things had to change. No need to mention the Soviet Union and
that other Donald Trump, sorry Putin who wants to take Russia to the time of
the Tsars. He and his mafia knock each other off in London, buy football
clubs and mansions in the west and even fight their divorce cases in London.
They don’t, like our leaders, bank in their home banks but the west they
perennially condemn. I am afraid and ashamed to admit that Russians, like us
Africans, are only consumers and don’t make anything. It hurts. At least the
Indians and Chinese can copy someone else’ idea. Never bought or seen anything with a ‘Made in Russia’
tag. Not even Vodka! Am I playing Russian roulette here? Food for thought.
Can
you imagine Nigeria is now getting, from Switzerland, a little bit of the
billions of what Abacha siphoned as leader. Our own dear leader, whenever he
suffers an itch on the bum jumps on a plane for the Far East. This after nearly
forty years as leader and they can’t build a first class hospital in their own
country, even if it is used by the elite. Shame. And ‘he has done a lot’, the
writer had the temerity to say. Julius Nyerere spent 6 months in a coma at St.
Thomas’ hospital London before he died and the body then shipped home. He was
in power for twenty years. The less we mention Zuma down south the better
because like most of the continent’s leaders, he is rushing straight to the
scene of the accident. If he ANC manages to change the constitution. Again,
what’s wrong with us? Here is a prediction, Mugabe won’t die in his bed in the
State House but, in a plane. And I am not a prophet/ profit!
Simon M Tozvireva.
Rova pasi Gabriel usazvinyepere hapana kana achiri kukudai baba. Vese vanonyepera kuti Gushungo Gushungo iwo mutupo wamakakwereta varikukunyeperai changamire. Chavarikuda kuba chete vachihwanda nezita renyu. You need to realise that your best friend cannotopenly tell you your mouth is smelling. Figure out yourself. Even Saviour Kasukuwere, Jonathan Moyo and your very own ‘wife’ havachada nezvako. Imi maCIO taurirai mudhara uyu chokwadi. Time to leave.
Rova pasi Gabriel usazvinyepere hapana kana achiri kukudai baba. Vese vanonyepera kuti Gushungo Gushungo iwo mutupo wamakakwereta varikukunyeperai changamire. Chavarikuda kuba chete vachihwanda nezita renyu. You need to realise that your best friend cannotopenly tell you your mouth is smelling. Figure out yourself. Even Saviour Kasukuwere, Jonathan Moyo and your very own ‘wife’ havachada nezvako. Imi maCIO taurirai mudhara uyu chokwadi. Time to leave.
He has overstayed his welcom and you know it.
Madrugs avarikupa mudhara uyu they should reduce the dosage. He is now hallucinating bad. Who would be angry with anyone asking when the goat should leave office? Kana the cowardly lizard now wants him to go.
Madrugs avarikupa mudhara uyu they should reduce the dosage. He is now hallucinating bad. Who would be angry with anyone asking when the goat should leave office? Kana the cowardly lizard now wants him to go.
Effort yekuuraya vanhu nekurova nekufosedzera kusapota zanupf?talking sense ipi yacho?by saying people in Zimbabwe like him?ivo vemu zanupf macho havachamudi.which planet do u reside brother/sister?
Effort yekuuraya vanhu nekurova nekufosedzera kusapota zanupf?talking sense ipi yacho?by saying people in Zimbabwe like him?ivo vemu zanupf macho havachamudi.which planet do u reside brother/sister?
But At Least The President is talking sense here guys. Why should we always be his critics. Has he not done enough of his job in office. Yes he is not a God, he makes mistakes as a normal human being,who doesn’t? I think we as Zimbos should start appreciating the effort he has put for the country.
But At Least The President is talking sense here guys. Why should we always be his critics. Has he not done enough of his job in office. Yes he is not a God, he makes mistakes as a normal human being,who doesn’t? I think we as Zimbos should start appreciating the effort he has put for the country.
This is bullshit. As early as 1990 when Tekere formed ZUM, people were beaten up, threatened, silenced, intimidated, killed, maimed just for opposing you Mugabe. Worse after 2000 till now how many people have you arrested, detained, killed, intimidated, tortured, made to disappear, violently displaced using ZANUPF youths, army, police and CIOs? How many elections have you blantantly cheated including using violence and multiple voting?MUSATANYOKO!!!DUZVI REMUNHU.AT92YRS WE EXPECT TO BE RESPECTING YOU BUT YOU ARE PROVING TO BE WORSE THAN HITLER WORSE THAN IDI AMINI WORSE THAN MOBUTU WORSE THAN KAMUZU BANDA. IMVWA YEMUNHU!