Mugabe’s speech hailed

Nqobile Tshili Chronicle Correspondent
AFRICANS across the globe have hailed President Mugabe for telling the world that Africa needs partners, not handouts, in its quest for development. Addressing delegates at the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Monday, President Mugabe said Africa was ready to work with those who wanted to partner the continent for its development.

“Africa isn’t looking for handouts. Rather, it’s looking for partners in massive infrastructure development in creating and exploiting the value chains of its God-given natural resources and improving the quality of the continent’s life,” he said.

The video of the President’s UN speech was uploaded onto BBC Africa’s Facebook page where it received an overwhelming response from Africans across the globe.

Thousands of people concurred that the President was a true champion of African issues.

Over 1,300 people had hit the like button on Facebook while 216 had commented on it and 582 had shared the link to the President’s speech hours after it was uploaded.

Lemay Beaute from Toronto, Canada concurred with President Mugabe saying Western donations were creating disunity among Africans.

“Well said President Mugabe. Africa needs partners in business not donations and not interference to create war. We love you Mr President,” said Beaute.

Bidal Bextor from South Sudan said because of donations, Africa was experiencing unending conflicts.

He praised the President for his “maturity and leadership skills” urging other African leaders to emulate him.

“The young African leaders would have stood there to ask for financial assistance from the western world which in turn is used for buying guns and killing innocent civilians,” Bextor said.

Kinglely Bobo (country unknown) said it was time for the world to listen to Africa’s concerns and Cde Mugabe’s speech has created a platform for this.

“It was so powerful and I will plead for Nations to listen again. We all have something to learn from his speech,” said Bobo.

Fixon Rich Ssebatta of Uganda said President Mugabe should be appreciated for championing African economic independence.

“To me, this man is confidently preaching supremacy of the black Africans to be innovative and to take a lead in the development of our own continent. We need to clear our image as Africans that we are not beggars like we used to be in the past,” said Sebatta.

He said foreigners cannot invest their energies for the development of the African continent.

However, some said Africa must shift from presenting speeches and work towards their implementation.

“Robert Mugabe is a brilliant man, with brilliant ideas for the emancipation of the African, but somewhere between his great ideas and speeches and the implementation, something happens,” read a comment from Zimbabwe.