13 September 2009

Hie Saidou, AfricaNews reporter in Harare, Zimbabwe Photo: Daniel Sibanba
President Robert Mugabe on Saturday launched a scathing attack on a visiting European Union delegation following progress on the SADC - initiated Global Political Agreement that led to a unity government.
Robert Mugabe rally, photo by Daniel Sibanda
He said the EU delegation he met chose to ask about how Zimbabwe would appoint senior government officials, choosing to ignore “illegal” sanctions imposed “on the country”.

Mugabe was officially closing a Zanu-PF Youth Conference in the capital, Harare. “I met the EU delegation today (Saturday) but instead of talking about sanctions, they talked about (Reserve Bank Governor, Gideon) Gono and (Attorney General, Johannes) Tomana. Coming all the way from Europe just to talk about the appointment of officials! They also talked about (Roy) Bennet and MDC officials who were arrested. However, I told them there were two Home Affairs Ministers from both MDC and Zanu-PF who are in charge of the police. The Ministers have both got two eyes,” Mugabe said.

Mugabe told the youth conference that Zimbabwe was for Zimbabweans and foreigners should keep away. “There are predators, outsiders who want to control us. They are colonialists who are armed to conquer. Therefore, don’t give in to outside interference,” he said. He urged party youths to be “the vanguard of the party and the country at large in the face of persecution by the West”.

“The road to independence was tough. It will remain tough because imperialists will always want to come and take our country. Never to surrender, never ever.
“Zimbabwe is ours, let others keep out of our family. Our resources are ours together, be it agriculture, the forest, birds even the lizards and poor frogs. We share them (resources) together.”

Mugabe and senior members of his party are under targeted sanctions from the EU, Britain and US, among other western countries. President Mugabe insisted that the EU delegation was supposed to lobby for the removal of sanctions against Zimbabwe.

Carlssen, Sweden’s International Development Cooperation Minister, also expressed concern over the slow pace at which the unity government was making progress, particularly in the area of political reforms. “We would like to engage with the Government of National Unity but we are also concerned about some progress not being made. We are worried about the progress that is not being made speedily as we would like to see, specifically when it comes to political reforms,” she said.

“That is why we are here, to meet the signatories of the agreement. To see what are the obstacles and how to deal with them, because it is in the interest of the Zimbabwean people.”

Addressing the Press, after meeting Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai – another signatory to the Global Political agreement in the second largest city of Bulawayo – delegation head, Ms Ganilla Carlssen said the EU wanted to restore relations with Zimbabwe. “Being here is a commitment from the European Union that we care and we would like to come back to normal relations with Zimbabwe.”

Tsvangirai said the issue of sanctions should be left for bilateral discussions with the EU. The delegation arrived in the country on Saturday morning after meeting Global Political Agreement guarantor, South African President, Jacob Zuma.

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