|
AFRICA should not be intimidated when United States President George Bush visits the continent next week, President Mugabe said yesterday. "When Bush visits here, it should not send tremors to your nerves," he said while addressing the 54th Ordinary Session of the Zanu-PF Central Committee. "He is coming to visit and he would not dare to try what he did to Iraq. He knows the situation is different. After all we do not have oil here," he said, departing from his prepared speech. Mr Bush is scheduled to visit South Africa, Botswana, Uganda, Nigeria and Senegal from July 8 to 12. Of late, the US has renewed its onslaught against Zimbabwe with President Bush, Secretary of State Mr Colin Powell and Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Mr Walter Kansteiner calling for President Mugabe’s exit from power. "We know that the Bush administration and the Blair government are against this country and its leadership," said Cde Mugabe. "But their conspiracies should never be allowed to succeed and we are glad that Africans oppose that." South African President Thabo Mbeki has indicated that he would not dictate to Zimbabwe how it should run its affairs while most African countries have also solidly backed Harare. Cde Mugabe called for a peaceful campaign for the mayoral and council elections set for next month. He urged Zanu-PF members to have a united approach to strengthen the campaigns for the elections. "I wish to reiterate my message of peace and non-violence so that once again we can shame those of our detractors who never miss an opportunity of inveighing against us," said Cde Mugabe. "Indeed, peaceful campaigns would be a fitting measure of gratitude to Africa and other parts of the developing world who have been slow to condemn us and have instead taken time to understand our situation, giving us support in the face of attempts by some to distort the Zimbabwean situation. "But even as we look ahead to the inevitable competition and contest arising out of elections, we should always remember that at the end of the day we remain one; one in the party and one in Zimbabwe." Cde Mugabe said people should know the opposition MDC's mass action programme would never be allowed to succeed as a way of changing the country’s leadership. There was legality and constitutionality in Zimbabwe and no one would be allowed to embark on illegality. Land reform was a process that empowered and continued to empower all indigenous Zimbabweans interested in the land regardless of their affiliations. Further evidence that the land reform was for all Zimbabweans was that citizens living outside the country were able to apply for resettlement land or for residential stands. "But the return of the land has not only benefited our party members. Indeed it never sought or pretended to do so. All we seek, therefore, is the pursuit of justice for all our people." "For this reason, we will not brook foreign interference in our internal affairs and whenever assistance from any country is offered to Zimbabwe we insist that it should come to us on the basis of the principle of equity between nations, notwithstanding the economic challenges we are presently going through." Cde Mugabe was dismayed by the slow pace in preparations for agricultural seasons. "For example, I am informed that exactly a week ago, farmers had ploughed 46 779,5ha and planted some 39 000ha of wheat out of a target of 78 300,9ha." It was equally disappointing that input costs were weakening the entire effort of placing agriculture in its rightful place in the economy. The recently appointed Land Review Committee was ready to hear and accept submissions from all stakeholders and consider them when compiling its final report and recommendations. The land audit would help in the identification of pockets of land that, for various reasons, have not yet been restored to the people. "With the Land Review Committee's findings and with, hopefully, a better season this time around, I believe we will be able to put our agriculture back on track," said Cde Mugabe. The input supply for the land reform programme continued to improve. During the past two weeks all provinces had received substantial amounts of fuel through a special allocation scheme for farmers. "As we have said time and time again, now that we have the land, it must bear fruit and give sustenance to our people and our nation," said Cde Mugabe. "It would also assist if the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement speeded up work on the proposed Summer Crop Input Programme for the 2003-2004 season. "In addition, this is an area where more support from our financial and other institutions would give the necessary fillip to agriculture." The
Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy" Groupe de communication Mulindwas "avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie" |
