via Robert Mugabe threatens to expel foreign firms from Zimbabwe | World news | theguardian.com
Newly re-elected president says ‘there will come a time when we lose our patience’ with pressure for democratic reforms
Robert Mugabe insists his party won ‘a resounding mandate’ in the last election and denies allegations of voting fraud.
Zimbabwe’s long-serving president Robert Mugabe has threatened to expel foreign-owned companies over what he said was the west’s interference in the politics of the country he has led since 1980.
Mugabe said on Sunday he wanted no “ideas from London or Washington”, speaking before supporters at the funeral of a military chief in Harare.
He warned the west that although his government had not “done anything to your companies, time will come when we will say tit for tat”.
He said: “You hit me, I hit you. We have a country to run and we must be left free to run it.”
Britain, the former colonial power, the European Union and the US have refused to endorse Mugabe’s landslide victory in the 31 July elections, citing evidence of vote-rigging. The west maintain economic restrictions on Mugabe and leaders of his ruling party.
Mugabe insists his party won “a resounding mandate” in the last election and denies allegations of voting fraud.
Zimbabwe’s state election panel said Mugabe won the elections with 61% of the presidential vote.
Mugabe, who was sworn in on Thursday for another five-year term at the age of 89, said “there will come a time when we lose our patience” with the west’s pressure for democratic reforms.
“I want to assure you our attitude will not continue to be passive,” Mugabe said Sunday. “We have had enough and enough is enough.”
Since winning another term, Mugabe has vowed to push ahead with a black empowerment programme to force foreign and white-owned businesses to cede 51% ownership to black Zimbabweans. Some economists warn that the programme will trigger another economic downturn similar to that Zimbabwe suffered after Mugabe’s government seized white-owned farms in 2000.
Mugabe, however, says the economic plan to force black control of companies will create jobs and economic growth that had been hindered by what he called “a tenuous and fraught coalition with uneasy partners” in the opposition led by former prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai.
Tsvangirai had favoured attracting western investment during the five-year coalition forged by regional leaders after the last disputed elections in 2008.
Mugabe says Britain has opposed black empowerment since he forced thousands of white farmers to surrender their land. Critics of the programme say it disrupted Zimbabwe’s agriculture-based economy, shut down industries and scared away foreign investment in mining and other businesses.
COMMENTS
Go ahead and expel them it will be egg on your face
They are the only ones keeping the country going, so expel them and go back to eating roots and rats.
Mr Mugabe is forever threatening people. Mugabe threatens Bulawayo and Harare. Mugabe threatens foreign own companies. Mugabe threatens white owned businesses. And now Zimbabwe has the second lowest per capita income in the entire world.
At the age of 89, and living in a country that is not at war, perhaps he should learn the art of negotiation. It might be more successful in providing a better quality of life for the average Zimbabwean citizen.
Absolutely correct but because he blames non black Zimbabweans for losing the referendum in the late nineties, his hatred blinds him to the the choas this has created. He is a frightened old man blind to the destruction he has wrought because he probably believes his own rhetoric ref the West being to blame for his governments shortcomings. I doubt that he is blind to the consequences of his look East policy but would probably give them the entire country and allow them to enslave all Zimbabweans if they could give him a pill that would ensure he lives another twenty years. It all about him and that’s that.
@Daniel Chatama
Please, tell us exactly when the last black slave was sold by a white man in Zimbabwe, I would love to know.
Also, tell us when exactly Zimbabwe will return to a stable, growing economy. 33 years of independence from white rule, but what have you to show for it?
But of course, it’s all the fault of that handful of whites still living in Zimbabwe, right?
His hatred grows as he gets closer to the end. Not really that surprising because he has so many political rivals starting with Tongogara waiting to greet him. He should be terrified.
If this vote was free and fair why will he not allow an audit? That question answers itself. Whatever he my believe and pray for, he will go down in history as one of the most oppressive and distructive leaders this continent has ever produced.
What a legacy to be proud of.
All reasonal observers given the evidence at hand believe that there was voting fraud and gerrymandering of the voters role, and they will continue to believe that until Mugabe subjects the result to an independent audit. Closing down and expelling foreign firms will not change much other than destroy the banking system which will significantly hurt Zimbabwe. SADC companies are the predominant foreign companies in Zimbabwe, so South African companies will be forced by Mugabe to apply sanctions on Zimbabwe. To call Mugabe stupid is to understate his idiocy.
There is just nothing positive and realistic that comes out of that 89yr old fools gob. Its all about anti-ness and revenge and excuses for his failures. On broader scale even the Zanu=pf party has nothing positive to offer no new fresh ideas. They are a very old broom with no bristles. South Africa (Gvt) will deserve the influx again of Zimbos again and loss of their investments in zim should bob the thief take over foreign owened businesses. They pay taxes and create employment and investment. Nothing stops zanu-pf from making their own businesses etc. they just too lazy and brainless to do this and prefer to take over a table that is already laid after the hard work is already done. It is just plain theft and stupidity if they go ahead with this crazy law.
The country would be better run by a troop of bobijaans than under Mugabe … What a useless, murdering, thieving, ignorant, greedy, smelly , old piece of nothing
Why do moan about America and Britain. Leave them alone China and the other african countries endorsed . Britain and America do not know what is democracy like you mugabe who threaten your own people of not voting for you.
We do not want to hear about Britain and America, its 33yrs since we got our independence so what do you want from them. mmmmmmmmm there must be something nice from these Countries which you like mugabe, buda pachena
Thank you, tell these blood suckers to cry on Kilimanjaro mountain so they will close enough to heavens for God to hear them. They cannot earn living from their own hands out of all the land they have stolen from native peoples.
Reminds me of the bible saying “what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul in the end”.