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elections postponed, when the MDC formations have been at the forefront of attempting to halt the long overdue polls.
In a two-and-a-half-hour address to tens of thousands of people at the party’s Mashonaland West Star Rally at Chinhoyi University grounds yesterday, the President said Mr Tsvangirai and the MDC formations should set the stage for the election by withdrawing the litany of court cases they launched in a bid to derail the July 31 polls.
“Right now, I would want to end up by saying aaah I was happy to read in the Press that VaTsvangirai, who was partner with me as a principal . . . we were three principals together and we have been drinking tea together and discussing things together.
“I was happy to hear that he is saying that the MDC is in fact for elections to be held on the 31st of July. And he is saying that it is Zanu-PF wanting to postpone the elections.
“Kuti isu tisu tirikuramba kuti musi wa31. Ko tirikurambirei ko nhai vanhuwee? Zvanzi ndisu tirikuramba kuti maelections auye musi wa31. Ivo zvanzi ndivo varimberi, mberi kwedu kuti maelections auye musi wa31. Aah izvi zvavazvitsva. Munhu mukuru, ko munhu mukuru angataure seiko imi? Ndiwo mataurire acho ekuti aiwa tabvuma kuti maelections achiuya musi wa31,” President Mugabe said to rapturous applause from the crowd.
Mr Tsvangirai, President Mugabe said, should now fully embrace the reality of the elections.
“But let us not then try to obstruct the process by having all kinds of applications to the High Court, to the Supreme Court on the election process,” he said.
“Let us all freely help the process, all freely help the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, all freely help our security forces. Help them in various areas.
“Our parties should confer on situations in various areas to prevent that. In fact, that is what we had agreed we would do that tinokwanisa kuita inter-party vigilant area groups dzinenge dzichiona kuti apapa chokwadi ehe parikuvhiringwa zvakati kuti, ngazvigadziriswe, apapa panechakati zvigadziriswe, tichibatsira varimberi savana ZEC.”
President Mugabe said the MDC formations should assist ZEC in holding elections, rather than wantonly criticise the electoral body.
“Kwete kuti tingova vashori kuti tive ndisu . . . kuti maelections eZEC?” he said, “they are our elections and ZEC is our commission. It is helping us, the parties to have an environment, correct environment in which our people can cast votes for us.
“Of course, we of Zanu-PF would want the vote to be cast for us. And on this one, we pray for them to be cast against you Tsvangirai. Just as you pray that votes be cast against VaMugabe, Handiti! Apo tirikunzwanana, ko ndiyo competition yacho. Zvino tikarega kudai, tigozonzi chatinogona chii? Tongogona zvekunyenga vasikana chete?”
President Mugabe urged all those accredited to observe the elections to carry their work with diligence.
He said Zimbabwe shunned observers from the United States and Europe because they imposed sanctions on the country.
“Our electoral process we have agreed here in Zimbabwe we are currently engaged in unfolding a process towards an election,” said President Mugabe.
“I stated that we have already invited well-meaning friends, well-meaning friends, irritating friends we never can invite and the United States we could never ever invite as long as sanctions from that country remain a burden on our country.
“So, who are you even you whose administration has imposed sanctions on us? Where do you get that audacity to open your mouth and try to sermonise us and what sermon anyway can America teach us with all that filthy history of slavery and even current history of imprisoning blacks?
“Your prisons are still full of blacks, where is your democracy? There is lots of racism in your country. Correct that and then come to us you are cleaner than anyone else. You are still democratically filthy.”
President Mugabe said there were some European countries trying to be nice to Zimbabwe, but they had been spoilt by other countries in the European Union bloc.
“Unfortunately, there are voices of people who belong to countries that together with Britain imposed sanctions on us,” he said.
“So, there is nothing we can do even to countries that have tried to remain as friendly as possible, but we do recognise your gestures, unfortunately you are still in the bundle of countries that imposed sanctions on us.
“So, you too Europeans or the EU, are not qualified to be our observers, sorry.”
President Mugabe said Zimbabwe had no problems with many other countries in the world.
“The rest of the world we have nothing, nothing to complain about Russia, other countries, Asia, the whole of Asia even Japan. I say even because Japan tended at one time to go along the West but no, they have not imposed sanctions on us,” he said.
“As long as they as they maintain their friendly attitude towards us and towards Africa, we are happy. So these countries, Latin America, fine. We say no to the United States of America. We say no to countries of the European Union and to the European Union itself. Countries bound together by the European Union and the European Union itself, no!
“African countries who each individually would want to send observers are free to do so. But we as a member of the African Union, we welcome observers there from. Sadc, yes, Comesa, Ecowas, East Africa, Central African Union, they are all free to send (observers).
“There is nothing we hide and we will in fact assist them (observers),” he said.
“If they point out areas where they feel that some work needs to be done to prevent possible violence we will attend to those parts.”
The President said the US was advancing “mad arguments” about the need to postpone the elections to attend to media and security sector reforms which are also being parroted by the MDCs, saying these were issues that should be taken to the electorate for determination.
“They are advancing mad arguments . . . please keep your pink nose to yourself,” he said. “We are a nation that is guided by principles and these principles do not come from America …so please keep your hands off …you are still democratically filthy and correct that and then you can come and teach us about democracy.”
US and EU envoys drew brickbats recently after uttering statements pre-judging the outcome of the elections.
EU ambassador to South Africa Mr Roeland van de Geer last week said the bloc’s illegal sanctions regime would only be removed if the harmonised elections are deemed free and fair and tried to influence Sadc to come up with a negative report on the elections if Zanu-PF wins, while US State Department deputy spokesperson Patrick Ventrell expressed ‘’concern’’ over poll preparations.
US ambassador Mr Bruce Wharton has been busy in recent weeks jumping foreign affairs protocol to write letters directly to Government institutions ahead of the elections.
President Mugabe took a swipe at Britain and the US for reneging on their pledge to fund the land reform exercise despite earlier promises by their predecessors who included Margaret Thatcher and Jimmy Carter of America.
He said the formation of the MDC-T was a direct result of the West’s arrogance after they realised that they could no longer have good relations with Zanu-PF which stood firm on its stance to go ahead with the historic land reform.
“Then Bush and Blair formed an alliance against Zimbabwe because they did not want to fund the land reform exercise which their previous administrations led by Jimmy Carter and Margaret Thatcher had agreed to do…it was a case of Blair helping Bush in Iraq and Bush helping Blair in Zimbabwe,” said President Mugabe. “The BB’s, Blooming Fools.”
Turning to party cadres who decided to participate as independent candidates after losing in the primary elections, President Mugabe said they would have automatically expelled themselves from the party.
He particularly criticised Marian Chombo who is standing as an independent candidate in Zvimba North against her former husband Dr Ignatius Chombo, saying she should have accepted defeat and supported the winning candidate.
President Mugabe said if elected, Zanu-PF would formalise small-scale mining and give opportunities to the youths to have a substantial stake in industries.
President Mugabe blasted promiscuity, especially among men saying discipline was crucial to nation building.
Online Reporter