via Mugabe: I don’t want to visit France, but I do want sanctions lifted theguardian.com by David Smith
Zimbabwean president says he is not interested in French women or romantic visits, he just wants to develop relations
Paris, je t’aime? Non, says Robert Mugabe.
The charms of arguably the world’s most romantic city – and of French filles – are lost on Zimbabwe’s 89-year-old president, he revealed on Thursday.
“We do not want to visit France,” declared twice-married Mugabe. “I do not want your girls. I do not want to visit France for romantic purposes. I want to develop relations between us.”
Encountering new diplomats from France, Germany and the Netherlands, Mugabe’s unorthodox argument was aimed at persuading the European Union to lift sanctions against him and his inner circle. His Zanu-PF party has long blamed the sanctions for Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown over the past decade and claims their removal would get the country back on track.
“Can France have a national introspection and see whether it’s right to continue to pursue the policy of sanctions against Zimbabwe?” asked Mugabe, who has ruled for 33 years.
“We want the removal of economic sanctions so we can export beef to Europe. Let’s get to trade. Let our flowers find home in the Netherlands. Let our greens find their way into the Dutch market but for as long as there are sanctions, this will be difficult.”
European Union countries imposed travel bans and asset freezes after Zimbabwean elections more than a decade ago, which western observers said were rigged in Mugabe’s favour. “We must now look at the future and the need for sanctions to go,” he said.
The EU lifted most of its sanctions earlier this year, yet an asset freeze and travel ban remains for Mugabe and his close allies. The president’s supporters within Africa argue that the peaceful conduct of this year’s elections means the country deserves a fresh start.
But the EU and US, which also has sanctions in place, rejected the recent poll citing numerous irregularities including the non-availability of the voters roll. Earlier this week Zimbabwe complained that its foreign minister was denied diplomatic privileges when leaving John F Kennedy airport in New York after last month’s UN summit.
Mugabe’s antipathy is not reserved for the country of Brigitte Bardot – 10 years his junior – and Audrey Tautou alone. Asked earlier this year if he would like to visit Britain should sanctions be lifted, he told the Guardian: “Why? I’ve nothing to do in Britain, actually.”
COMMENTS
Harrods!
He can shop from Harrods online
He doesn’t need to go to Britain to shop at Harrods,he can do it online.
Beef to France, Flowers to the Netherlands…….has this guy got his decades mixed up?
You old fool, it’s 2013 NOT 1999!! There is no beef or flowers to export to Europe, only people as you well know.
Wake up and smell the sewage……..there’s plenty of that running through the streets of your ‘beautiful’ country.
Unbelievable how a obvious senile man is actually lorded as king of Zimbabwe whilst there is sewerage not only pouring out on the streets but out of zanoids mouths too
Er, where are you going to get the flowers, fruit and beef from to export? Anyone noticed how the citrus industry is on its knees?
The old man is confused as usual. There is no beef farming, no green houses for flowers and vegetables. Most of the fruits have insect bites. Ask Chinotimba! Maybe a bit of psychomotor education will hell.
Mugabe is so senile and he only belongs to a psychiatric ward. I don’t know why he cant be taken there. Sell your dog beef and wild flowers to China,
Two blind old bulls and three cows past reproductive age from Gushungon farm now heading to France with a bunch of Valentine flower for the Netherland beautiful chics. Of course they will receive diplomatic reception
We want the electronic voters roll before lifting sanctions
Agree electronic voters’ roll must be made public locally and globally and its contents fully investigated, plus all democratic reforms notionally agreed to but never implemented during the previous era should be fully in place prior to any contemplation of revising the minor targeted sanctions currently in place against a few corrupt individuals. These have no real effect economically in any case, so a revision of the lying rhetoric about these completely legal minor sanctions should also be insisted on.
There is no legal reason why Zimbabwe cannot export beef or flowers today! Except for the fact that she has none to sell. So stop wining about what you call sanctions. There are no economic sanctions against Zimbabwe, only against individual thieves such as yourself.
Also, I don’t think that Zimbabwe even begins to register on the radar screen of the French, so don’t hold your breath waiting for them to have a “national dialog” about a tiny country run by thieves. They don’t care about you old man! Suck it up and do something about it!
Yes, the last we saw, there are no sanctions against Zim… but then, besides those who listen only to ZANUPF propaganda, so many have selective hearing and don’t want their position compromised by having to face the TRUTH.
What’s funny (in a sad way), is that if anyone in Zim were to get an export order from France for a load of beef, they’d first have to beg France for a freeby hand-out to buy feed to raise a herd.