via I feel like a boy of 9: Mugabe 23/02/2014 NewZimbabwe
THOUSANDS of people turned out Sunday to wish happy birthday to Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe, who threw 90 balloons into the air to mark his 90th year and continuing hold on power.
Fresh off the plane from Singapore, where he had travelled for eye surgery last week, Mugabe was in typically defiant mood as he launched his birthday celebrations at Marondera stadium, east of the capital Harare.
Dressed in a black suit, red tie and white shirt, he moved around the venue on the back of a truck waving his fist to a crowd made up largely of school children bussed in for the occasion.
In a speech that lasted over an hour, Mugabe told the crowd that the election win for his Zanu PF party last year had confounded his critics in the West.
“Those opponents of ours who had imposed sanctions on us were baffled,” he said.
“The truth is Zanu PF won, Zanu PF had the support. Zanu PF had the message, had the history, Zanu PF has the people.”
Before his speech, ambassadors from China and Russia presented Mugabe with special messages of congratulation from their presidents.
“At times I think of how I have survived over the years, escaping death, many of my friends and relatives have died. It saddens me at times, but at the same time you are happy that you have turned 90.”
His party won another resounding victory in August – taking two-thirds of the vote – although critics say he used state power to intimidate voters and opponents.
Huge cakes were on display in the centre of the stadium, while the crowd wore red scarves, as is traditional on the president’s birthday, and waved national flags.
A series of speakers led the crowd in chanting Zanu PF slogans, and denouncing the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, which has spent years unsuccessfully trying to overturn Mugabe’s rule in the face of catastrophic economic decline.
Mugabe returned to familiar anti-colonial themes in his speech, saying: “The British – we don’t hate you, we only love our country. We love our freedom.”
COMMENTS
I feel as youthful and energetic as a boy of nine says mugabe. what planet is ths man living on??
Well i was among the crowd , so many kids were part of the mingling , to me this raised a question , do we parents still love to see the old man ? The answer might be yes but not him as a number one citzen of the country , i wish him many more years but off the presidential seat simple because of his advanced age , he must be given a break and let him maintain his life in privacy . Kids were bused to take more seats in the stadium otherwise we should have seen the gaps as a sign of not supporting him to continue as the president of the country . Good luck to ZANU PF members for the celebration with the president , my advice to all ZANU PF members is that yes we had been together for the last 34 years with the same president , he has played his role , he made some mistakes like all human beings , but let us be together again and admit that our old man can now only be good as an advisor to us and to who soever can be his successor , lets ritire the president peacefully , what else do we need from this old man , for how long must he continue facing our questions , the seat is too hot for him at his age .
“made some mistakes”??? You are mad, shamwari. How can the murder of 20 000 Ndebele people be a little mistake? Or the land invasions? Or Murambatsvina? Or hyperinflation?
Don’t insult our dead.
A “boy of 9” who struggles and stumbles over two simple words; just to say “thank you”.
What a gukurahundi!!!
The President was perfectly correct. Physically he is now 90yrs old, but mentally he now thinks almost like a 9 yr old. It’s a pity we have entrusted the whole nation to a 9 yr old. It will be even better to have Robert Junior as the president.
Dribbles like a 9 yr old, talks like a3 year old, walks like a11month old, probably uses diapers like a3month old and has brain function of a 6 month old so we suppose that can average out to9 years if you’re delusional.
It shows the grand disillusion that Mugabe is living under. if honestly he believes he feels like a 9 year old then mentally he sure is.
Happy Birthday Mr President in Absentia! The truth is we saw less of the President last year and we will see even lesser of the President this year! For me dying in office is no heroism but utter humilliating indignity and a shameless abuse of the elderly. What irks me is that all this is self-inflicted and culd hav been avoided!
For me the greatest legacy of his rule is education and his weakest character trait is tribalism. For a self proclaimed nationalist, it stil buffles me how Mugabe finds comfort in demacating the country into tribal tribal regions i.e. Mashonaland, Manicaland, Ma(Ndebeleland) mispelt offcourse!
Tribalism brought Mugabe to power; tribal war-lordism strengthened his hand (read Gukurahundi); and he still uses tribal power broking to stay in power. The significant roles played by the likes of Mujuru, Nkala, Muzenda and currently Mutasa in Mugabe s rise confirms tribal juggling and manipulation as central to his politics.
Tribalism is the hallmark of Mugabe’s rule and unlike what Mthwakazi wuld want us to believe: Tribalism is the elephant in Zanu PF HQ at Shake-shake House!
Tribalism was the vehicle that brought Mugabe to power in 1980, tribalism was the fuel than fed the Gukurahundi inferno that consolidated his power and Tribalism remains the cause of factionalism in Zanu PF today as it did in the past.
Ever wondered the significance of Rex Nhongo being a Zezuru and Magamba Tongogara being a Karanga in the Zanla power struggles of 1976-79!
That is how its done in Zezuruland and only the naivety of one Mthwakazi can dispute that!
Its a black african thing to be tribal baba and no one knows it better than Uncle Bob!
We have to live beyond the tribal game .It will destroy us I am baffled by the fact that 2014 this is still a big factor in our politics.
That’s why I am calling for a new vibrant brand of politics. Many a great nations( USA) ,have embraced their diversity thus bringing about a progressive society. We need each other, black,mixed race,white ,Indian, Venda, Ndebele, Shona, Tonga,Nyanja and Shangani.
Zanu has failed to nature and encourage the great potential we have as a people.Mugabe is an opportunity squandered. People believed in him because of his oratory, but he has destroyed us. We should stick together against this destructive force.
I call again for this new brand of leaders with vision that can unleash the good in all of us to build a better Zimbabwe for our kids.
Roving Ambassador
You are baffled that tribe is still a big factor in Zim politics? Where were you during the 2013 July elections?
Do you think many Shona people’s hatred of Welshman Ncube and Dumiso Dabengwa is just innocent politics? You must be living in another world if you believe that. Tribalism in Zim politics is caused by mainly some of the Shona people.
A lot of Mthwakazi people support Tsvangirayi despite the fact he is Shona. That tells you who in Zim are the casue of tribalism. The Shona – PERIOD!!
I don’t get this tribal fiasco going on in Zim. I am mixed race and have a Zim id that ends J-00 and never got the meaning to this until later in life. I am not associated with any tribe and don’t have a totem. Does this mean i am less Zimbabwean? Both parents born in Zim. I had many friends in zim of all races and never viewed anyone as being from a different tribe or background but what was important was that WE are ALL Zimbabwean!!!
Mugabe thinks like a 9 year old. His ideas are simplistic, and like a 9 year old’s, unable to see the bigger picture if what needs to be done to lift this great nation out of the rut that he got it into.
More like a 900 year old biblical Metheusala preaching to 9 year olds with only cake on the mind
Mugabe is finished indeed he is gone back to being a 9yr old. Zimbabwe needs a mature leader not this pre teen mampara.
Mugabe does have the people, unfortunately. Right where he wants them. They sure wish to be liberated and maybe get some sovereignty, too.