20100802
SW Radio

Western diplomats who came to pay their respects at the funeral of Robert Mugabe's sister over the weekend were reportedly left 'baffled' after Mugabe used his tribute speech to once again lambast the West.

Diplomats from America, Greece, Germany and a European Union official, on Sunday walked out of the ceremony at Heroes Acre, where Mugabe's sister and close confidante Sabina was enshrined. Sabina passed away last Thursday.

Mugabe was addressing thousands of mourners and paying tribute to his sister when he angrily started criticising Europe and the US for the targeted sanctions still in place against him and his inner circle, including Sabina. He accused the West of imposing the sanctions to force him to step down, saying "to hell" with those who were opposed to his rule.

"Europe and America want to keep these odious sanctions. They are now saying Mugabe must go first, and they choose someone to lead the country," he said. "We say to hell, hell, hell with them. They will not decide who is going to lead the people of Zimbabwe."

This apparently did not sit well with the guest diplomats, US ambassador Charles Ray, German ambassador Albrecht Conze and the Greek and EU charge d'affaires Stephanos Ioannides and Barbara Plinkert. On Sunday night one of the diplomats confirmed the walkout telling Newsday they were baffled by Mugabe's attack.

"This was a Christian funeral and those of us who came to pay our last respects were told to go to hell. I found this theological contradiction baffling," he said.

It is not unusual for Mugabe to use any public platform to launch a tirade against the West, who he blames repeatedly for the country's economic downfall. ZANU PF insists the targeted measures, which have been imposed against specific individuals and companies aligned to the Mugabe regime, are the reason for Zimbabwe's economic collapse. The party and Mugabe however have no problem with the large amount of aid international countries give Zimbabwe, and still urge the international community to funnel money to the government.

Mugabe meanwhile used the same speech to make a comment that the profits of the Chiadzwa diamond fields must not line the pockets of "greedy politicians."

"Diamonds should not be pocketed by some individuals ... they should help to improve the whole country," Mugabe said. "We will ensure there is collective benefit and not individual benefit."

The comments are highly ironic as Mugabe's wife Grace last week made headlines for apparently being a major shareholder in one of the diamond firms currently mining the Chiadzwa site. It is being reported that Grace is a shareholder in the Mbada mining firm, which is a joint venture operation involving the parastatal Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC). The firm is at the heart of controversy at the site, which is legally owned by a London based group, African Consolidated Resources (ACR).

According to ACR the mining operations by Mbada are in contempt of the Supreme Court, which ordered all mining to stop until the ownership fight is completed. Mbada's parent company, the South African Reclamation group, insists this is not the case.