Zimbabwe Silver Jubilee 25 years of Independence, Democracy and Development ZIMBABWE We will not capitulate

An Special Report Zimbabwe Silver Jubilee 25 years of Independence, Democracy and Development

Swaziland“It was the bulletEnglish Language that brought the ballot” Zimbabwenationalsm is 25 years old as an independent country. The year-long celebrations kicked off on 17 April (eve of independence) with a state reception where honours and awards were given to Zimbabwean heroes and luminaries of Southern Africa who played key roles in the country’s struggle for independence (see story on p12). Looking back over the past 25 years, the country has changed so much for the better in every sphere of national life (despite the economic downturn of recent years) that it is diffi cult for its citizens to remember there ever was a mini-apartheid state in the same land they now live in. It is a credit to the fi ghting spirit of the Zimbabweans.

t was a British prime minister who once said “a week is a long time in politics”. Today Britain is a dirty word in Zimbabwe – and vice versa. But going by the prime minister’s reckoning, 25 years must be a very long time in theI life of a nation, at least if that nation is called Zimbabwe where the “born frees” (the post independence generation) can hardly fathom what life was before independence on 18 April 1980. Compared to those days, the country has changed so much for the better in the last 25 years that even the older generation have to pinch themselves to remember that the following was the norm in their country before independence: g No African was allowed to keep more than a herd of six cattle; any government offi cial could seize the excess. This, in a land where cattle was king, and keeping cattle was the main occupation of the people. g No African was allowed to go out after 6pm without a letter (deemed as a pass) written by a European giving the date and time limits of the travel or outing. g No African was allowed to sell his maize produce directly 23 March 2005: President Mugabe on the campaign trail – regular elections during the to the state-owned Grains Marketing Board (GMB). That was last 25 years of independence have made Zimbabweans forget the era when Africans reserved for white farmers. The African sold his produce only were not allowed to vote to the Farmers Co-operatives run by white farmers, who then sold on the maize at huge profi t to the GMB. g Pavements were reserved for white people, and no African g No African was allowed in a supermarket. There was a hole was allowed to walk on them even when there were no whites in the wall where all African shoppers were made to queue around. Africans walked on the road which they shared with for hours, and from where they shouted at the African shop cars owned by white people. If an African saw a white person assistants inside the supermarket what they wanted to buy. on the pavement, he stood aside, at attention, until the white g No African was allowed in First Street in the heart of the person walked past. capital, Salisbury (now Harare) where all the big banks, owned g No African was allowed to vote. That was reserved for by white companies, were situated. In this way, Africans were whites. It took a bitter war of liberation in which African blood denied capital to start their own businesses. The place for the was shed in copious quantities to get the current one-person- African was on white-owned farms and homes where they one-vote system in the country. It makes the current hoohah toiled for hours as labourers and domestics for very little pay. in Europe and elsewhere over democracy and human rights in

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All interviews and articles in this Special Report where conducted and written by the editor of New African, Baffour Ankomah

Zimbabwe a rather hypocritical and insincere affair. waged by our people for nearly a century, struggles meant to Human memory is really a wonderful thing. Otherwise, dislodge British settler colonialism which, in 1890, had planted how else could 25 years appear so long ago that the norm in itself on our soil through force of arms. Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) could so easily be forgotten, an When this day finally arrived, we had paid the price of obnoxious norm perpetrated by descendants of the European British bondage for 90 long and arduous years of systematic continent which today, in a state of self righteousness, has assault and injury to our body and soul as a nation under imposed sanctions (smart, economic and more besides) on occupation. To this day, we bear the lasting scars of that dark Zimbabwe for not being “democratic enough”, for allegedly encounter with colonialism, often described as civilising. abusing the human rights of its citizens, and for “not observing Important as it is, this magic day of 18 April did not mark the rule of law”. our destination or herald the end of our struggles. 18 April In 1926 (equally not very long ago), when Southern Rhodesia announced the beginning of new and even more demanding became a self-governing colony, its first prime minister, struggles ahead. We had to secure peace; we had to integrate the medical doctor Godfrey Huggins promoted the idea of three previously warring armies; we had to resettle thousands “partnership between blacks and whites”. When asked to be of displaced persons and refugees from the war; and we had more specific about what he meant by “partnership”, Prime to rehabilitate a war-ravaged countryside. The challenge was Minister Huggins calmly replied: “I am talking about a daunting, a real matter of faith. partnership between a horse and a rider.” Twenty-five years later, we have an opportunity to look at Thirty-nine years later, Ian Smith – one of Huggins’ how we have lived as a nation since then. But we do so having successors in State House in Salisbury – a man who thumped achieved the landmark of 25 years which this day, 18 April, his nose at his kith and kin in London and rebelliously declared represents, for it was the day on which, in 1980, we proclaimed self-government in Rhodesia in 1965, who still lives a free man our birth and presence to the world with a collective voice. in Zimbabwe and criticises the current The emotion-laden visual of that government like there is no tomorrow, proclamation was the lowering of the famously declared that “black majority Union Jack – the British flag – and its rule will never happen in my life-time, not “In 1926, the Southern Rhodesian subsequent replacement by our own. The even in a thousand years”. prime minister, Godfrey Huggins, lowering of the Union Jack was a ceremony Fifteen years later, on 18 April 1980, promoted the idea of ‘partnership performed by a British royal person – His the poor man was eating humble pie as between blacks and whites’. When Royal Highness, Prince Charles, now being black majority rule swept into town on asked to be more specific about maligned for recently shaking my hand in what he meant by ‘partnership’, the heels of the demise of his white-only he calmly responded: ‘I am Rome, at the funeral of our Pontiff, Pope government and discriminatory policies. talking about a partnership between John Paul II. But I had met him several The African revolution was on, and 25 a horse and a rider’.” times before. Was it not one revered Briton years down the road, the man who led the who said a century or so ago that ‘small country to independence, Robert Gabriel minds and great empires go ill together?’. Mugabe, can justifiably – despite the last five years of Western Comrades and friends, when we ascended to full sovereignty economic sanctions leading to a massive turndown in the and freedom, we clearly communicated our resolve never again fortunes of the country – blow a bit of his own horn for turning to be in bondage. The new flag represented the wealth we carry the land formerly ruled by discrimination into a lovely place for as a nation, although, sadly, it was wealth we were not able to all its citizens. control or take over quickly. That, of course, included our land, On 18 April 2005, as Zimbabwe celebrated its silver jubilee as and that which grows on it, and all that which is embedded a free nation, President Mugabe, hugely rejuvenated in health deep within its bowels. 23 March 2005: President Mugabe on the campaign trail – regular elections during the last 25 years of independence have made Zimbabweans forget the era when Africans from the last time I saw him in December 2003, and bearing The new flag also expressed our deep compassion, our wish were not allowed to vote no visible marks of the bruises from the recent wars with his and offer of peace to the world. As a war-weary people, we badly former colonial masters, let his achievements of the past 25 needed it, both at home and abroad. And the circumstances years speak for him. His anniversary speech, coming on the were most delicate, for the embittered Rhodesians were plotting back of a sudden turnaround of the economy in 2004, was a the reversal of the people’s revolution… masterpiece of a review of the last 25 years, and deserves to be [But] a united people can never be really defeated. Above all, quoted at length here. He told his people: our struggles have taught us that sacrifices are an integral part and signify the element of bravery and courage. For Africa, Twenty-five years have gone by since that eventful freedom has never come cheap and easy. Colonisers do not midnight of 17 April 1980 when our country was freely let go of nations they occupy. Their hold has to be broken born, proudly taking up her place among members through bitter and bloody struggles by the oppressed. Such of the community of nations as a full, independent and struggles have always demanded sacrifices. sovereign state. Today, we tell our children that the joys of 18 April emanate This birth followed bitter struggles and wars of resistance from the hapless villager slaughtered in cold blood only

Zimbabwe n Special Report 3 Zimbabwe Silver Jubilee 25 years of Independence, Democracy and Development

yesterday for supporting the struggle. We tell them that today’s joy is the product of the strangled shriek of a guerrilla bravely facing execution; it comes from the corpse as his body dangled Swazilandfrom the noose of an inhuman white settler English hangman. Language We tell them real stories of battle-hardened cadres who fell in battle singing, “ropa rangu muchazoriona pamureza weZimabwe (“My blood shall colour the fl ag of a free nationalsmZimbabwe”). All such sacrifi ces colour our joy today. We shall never forget that we shared the sacrifi ces with our brothers and sisters in all the neighbouring countries we used as rear bases for our struggle: Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, Angola and Botswana. Their blood too emblazons our fl ag, making them deserving shareholders in our freedom and pride. Again, let the children know this sacred story of their freedom, namely, that it was secured through collaborative African efforts and sacrifi ces which have provided a fi rm foundation for our pan-African spirit and character. But we also recall and take pride in the fact that we opened our independence with a demonstration of compassion, 17 April 1980: Eve of independence – Britain’s Prince Charles (left) supervises the forgiveness and reconciliation, unexampled in European lowering of the Union Jack for the last time on Zimbabwean soil history. Confounding all expectations and fears of retributive justice against Rhodesian war criminals, we, in March 1980, we reject for it is meant to give the oppressed an illusion of proclaimed a Policy of National Reconciliation by which we power and control. forgave their heinous sins and atrocities against our people. The historical fact of land, at the heart of our liberation By this policy, their war crimes stood forgiven, expiated not struggle, necessarily forges this vital connection in our political by restitution or even a show of contrition on their part, but circumstances. In Zimbabwe, land governs the ballot. It is a simply by our own forgiving consciences. Against that bitter symbol of sovereignty, it is the economy, indeed, the source of history, we still gave our hand, gave our hearts and our love our welfare as Africans. It remains the core social question of to the erstwhile oppressor, in clear demonstration of African our time, as indeed, it was the main grievance on which our humanity. liberation struggle was based. Today, Ian Smith still lives a free man. Out of this policy, we Today, 25 years later, we rejoice that this fundamental goal built peace, healed weeping wounds, pacifi ed restless souls of of our struggle has been achieved. We have resolved the long all those disconsolately bitter and deeply injured. Yes, we freed outstanding national land question, and the land has now come the oppressor. Who, in the Anglo-Saxon West would have done to its rightful owners, and with it, our sovereignty. what we did? Our people are happy and fulfi lled, and this is all that Democracy has come during the same 25 years, not as a matters to us. Let the grief and bitterness that has visited hand-down from Europe, but as a natural offshoot of our Europe following the repossession of our land heal on its own, struggle. We made our democracy, and owe it to no one, least of in its time. Zimbabwe is in Africa, not Europe! all Europeans. Until we beat them on the battlefi eld, Britain We have done much more in the 25 years which have gone by. and her kith and kin here would not concede voting rights We have built schools, colleges, polytechnics and universities. to Africans. The one-person-one-vote we have enjoyed since We have trained teachers and expanded education at the 1980 is a gain from our liberation struggle. Let it be forever primary, secondary and tertiary levels. We have educated our remembered that it was the bullet that brought the ballot. children and with a literacy level of well over 86%, Zimbabwe The 25 years we celebrate today have been years of regular far surpasses most nations of the world in education, which elections in 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2002, and, just slightly is why our skilled people are much sought after in most in March 2005. Our polls have not needed Anglo-American parts of the world. The coming years will see resolute steps validation. They are validated by fellow Africans and friendly taken to review and overhaul certain aspects of the current countries from the developing world. That is our universe, not education system, placing emphasis on development-related Europe, not America. We never agitate to observe their elections, education, information technology, vocationalisation and and therefore, let them keep away from our affairs. enterpreneurship for self-job creation. The 25 years that have gone by have taught us that We have also built health institutions throughout the democracy cannot grow well on the soil of racial poverty and country and have stepped up the training of health personnel, inequality. Genuine democracy cannot coexist with structural albeit against the challenges of induced skills fl ight. Today, deprivation and racial inequality. It cannot be an escape from every community has a clinic or health centre on the basis of addressing the national question. Such a model of democracy which our national primary health care programme has been

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an example to, and the envy of the developing world. irrigable land is the surest insurance and no effort will be However, the biggest challenge we face as a nation is the spared from this very year. HIV/Aids pandemic which has really strained our health While our detractors claim that our economy has not done delivery system. Definitive steps are being undertaken to that well, we are happy that it has delivered spectacularly address the challenge, including greater local manufacturing of on our social goals, thereby laying a firm foundation for our anti-retrovirals, as well as significant subsidies of HIV-related future growth policies. It has delivered on education, health, drugs and treatments. But the achievements in the health infrastructure, water, energy and communication. These sector have been enormous and we can only improve in the happen to be prerequisites for an economic take-off. And we years ahead. now have them in place. Dramatic gains have been registered in opening up rural True, business has not expanded as fast as we would have areas through greater infrastructural development. From a wished, and much remains to be done for that to happen. Until road and rail network designed to serve white interests, we recently, the economy had suffered a general rise in inflation have expanded the road network to bring hitherto neglected and price instability. Businesses either closed or contracted. rural areas within the national developmental grid. We have Wages were eroded, while unemployment rose quite markedly. built an effective system of feeder roads, overcoming natural Punishing interest rates have also dissuaded investments barriers through a network of bridges. However, a lot more still or business expansion. Our experiments with the ruinous needs to be done. economic structural adjustment programme [of the IMF We have expanded rural electrification, covering the and World Bank] appear to have unleashed mayhem in the far reaches of our country. We have lit up rural service economy. We are a lot wiser now. centres, rural schools, offices and homesteads of traditional We are clear and definite on the way forward in the years and community leaders. With electric power in place, it is ahead. We need to protect our people from the ravages of now possible to attract meaningful small to medium scale drought that have afflicted us for years. The responsibility investments into rural areas, in the process, tackling rural of sustaining our people during challenging periods is unemployment. Complementary to the rural electrification primarily that of government. We shall always live up to this programme, has been the provision of rural telecommunication responsibility. services. Our water sector has also enjoyed huge investments All these efforts naturally must unfold within the framework during the same period. We have built many dams of all sizes of our Economic Turnaround Programme which has already in all provinces, especially the drought-prone provinces of registered dramatic gains in restoring macro economic balance. Matabeleland, Midlands and Masvingo. While these gains have been generated by reforms championed But not all has been rosy in the 25 years that we are taking by our Reserve Bank, they need an emphatic supply response stock of today. The spectre of drought has repeatedly visited to remain sustainable. us, seemingly increasing in frequency in the new millennium. Agriculture must grow and expand. Industry and mining And although we have invested heavily in harvesting water, must respond positively to the turnaround, as indeed should not much has been done to harness that water for irrigation commerce and the service sector. purposes. We thus suffer repeated ‘wet’ droughts. Increasing The hostility we have faced from Western countries in response to our land reform programme has taught us to diversify our source and export markets. We have turned East, we have turned to our region and other sub-regions on our continent. With this support, we have started building mutually beneficial partnerships that will help us build a strong national economy, our ultimate goal. Gone are the days when Africa produced tragic revolutions. We have to defend our own space by any means necessary. We have to defend our policies and pursue them unhindered. Africa for Africans! Long live the African Union, Long live Zimbabwe.

Of course, what was missing in the president’s remarkable review of the past 25 years was the bitter war in Matabeleland soon after independence which claimed thousands of lives on both sides – ZANU and ZAPU – and which led to the Unity Accord of 1987. It was a bitter period that Zimbabwe wants – but will never be allowed by its critics – to forget. 18 April 2005: The Born-Free brigade – a section of Zimbabweans born on Independence That aside, the past 25 years has been a period of sound Day 18 April 1980 march on the day they and their country turned 25 progress that every Zimbabwean should be proud of. g NA

Zimbabwe n Special Report 5 Zimbabwe Silver Jubilee 25 years of Independence, Democracy and Development

SwazilandMugabe We English won’t goLanguage nationalsm back to the Commonwealth Zimbabwe celebrates 25 years of independence with an uncompromising message for all who want to hear: “We won’t go back to the Commonwealth. It is a useless body to start with, and it has treated us in a dishonourable manner,” says President Mugabe in this wide-ranging and exclusive interview with New African.

Mugabe: “We had to get the land back to the people, the best of the gains from the liberation struggle. Well, our people are now very happy, they are very happy”

NA: Because of the huge improvements in every sphere when we were under real bondage, under colonial rule, those of national life since independence, 25 years appear can never fade away, they remain forever. to be such a long time ago. Do you sometimes pinch But as you remember them, the only sorry part of it is that yourself to remember that this was the same country the present generation has not come through it all, and that where no African was allowed to keep more than a perhaps when we are critical of them and say, “come on, don’t herd of six cattle, where no African was allowed in a you know that we suffered for this country”, we perhaps supermarket, or even to vote? forget that they never went through it all. That is the regret Mugabe: Yes, 25 years is a very long time, but a long time we have. We ask why do they not actually feel as we felt, and go of memories as well, and memories do pile up, but the most over it, over the bridge, to independence, just emotionally? remote ones, especially those which saw us suffer and the times But, of course, they can’t do that. And you know, Mao Zedong

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had to try to replay it with his Cultural Revolution. It happens NA: …Your roads are wonderful, I have travelled in every society. And so when we criticise our youngsters around the country and your roads are superb. here, we should bear in mind that actually it’s all history and Mugabe: Yeah, but they are killers at the moment, very perhaps we should blame ourselves for not making the narrow; people have so many cars… history real. It’s only now that we are trying to re-live those moments in the classrooms and give our students their true NA: …Yes, they are narrow but… history. Mugabe: …They are OK. Then you have the feeder roads that feed into these roads and which enable us to move farm NA: Are they forgetting because they have it so good, produce, and the people as well. today? Then, of course, you have also the fact of agriculture itself. Mugabe: Yes, we’ve done our best to look after this country Here, agriculture requires land; you don’t do agriculture in and make it good. We could have done much more really if the the air. So we had to get the land back to the people, the best times had been as helpful as we had anticipated they would. of the gains from the liberation struggle – land, land, land; and These droughts which are quite a real phenomenon, I don’t it was the main grievance during the struggle. We built our know its cycles in history, perhaps in the past they had these struggle virtually on that grievance, but of course the right of cycles, one doesn’t know but they are a phenomenon. We’ve ownership, the sovereignty of the people, all these aspects were had really more droughts than good seasons. built around the fact of our having been deprived of our land. But in spite of it, we’ve done our best; we’ve fed our people. Well, our people are now very happy, they are very happy; We’ve tried as much as possible to give them a living, to give but we are yet to make full use of the land. You see, we’ve had a them also the sense of belonging, and not just belonging but drought this year again, but winter is coming, we have a lot of the sense of ownership. That the country is theirs, and the water masses, perhaps we are the country with the most dams opportunities thereof are theirs. That in Africa, but many large dams have no they need not hanker now after being irrigation schemes, so there we are – why employed. They must be able to employ should we suffer? themselves. That’s the new education we "If Blair continues to maintain this So our view is that since we are prone must develop – that these resources are don’t-touch-me attitude, well and to droughts, let us build a lot of our our resources. good; we won’t extend our hand agricultural life around the water we But unfortunately, in order for them to to him. But if he wants to open his have already collected in the dams, and have this sense of ownership, they want doors or wants us to open our in the rivers as well. So, we are working immediately also to derive from it those doors, fine. His people can come on that. We had to empower our people here, my people can go to London means and benefits that can make their and discuss relations.” by giving them the land, which we have lives real. And that is where we have the done; but we have to ensure that they problem; because it is not that easy to have have the inputs and sometimes help resources at the disposal of the majority of the people that can them with tillage as well. Of course, in the urban areas, the make them feel truly that their lives are now better. cry is for employment. Yes, we’ve established factories since But, of course, they are better much more in the collective independence, but the hard times have seen a lot of closures, sense than the individual sense. The schools that belong to a lot of shrinkage of some of the factories, and we are now on them all, their children can go to school – all of them. We did a campaign to revive them. And with the new governor of the not have to impose education on our communities by way of Reserve Bank who is quite alert and aware of government enacting laws and compelling parents to send their children to policies, we’ve gone quite some distance. We’ve looked at the school. They have that in them. It’s in every parent actually. situation in Bulawayo where there were a lot of closures as well And so, all we do is to facilitate the communities. In fact, when as Harare, Kadoma and other places; and we are getting some we started, the communities themselves built most of the of them back to viability. schools in the rural areas, with only little financial help from So there will be great employment, but nowadays factories the government. really should not be the greater employer than agriculture. Then you have the area of health. Again, we have health It is so in developed countries but in developing countries facilities, they are not yet as adequate as we would want them agriculture should see a lot of self-employment, because a mere to be, but you have hospitals in all provinces and most districts. half acre can do wonders. You can build your horticulture on Our policy was to have a hospital in every district. The a piece of land less than a hectare, and things such as growing largest province in the country has eight districts, and we mushrooms are catching on. started by building two district hospitals in every province in But in spite of it all, we would want to see the peasants grow Phase One. But when we got to Phase Three and we were now their own food and move out of the subsistence level and have thinking of Phase Four, we had immense problems which have cash. They are a hardworking people, they like their soil, they slowed our pace. like their cattle and other animals. That is the life in the rural Then we have areas like transport, the roads… areas, and that is the life of the people.

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Yes, perhaps in the future, with greater agricultural reform and more development of the manufacturing sector, there may be a drift from the land to the cities, but that must Swazilandbe well guided, or you may end up with the English situation we have Language in South Africa which was caused by the Boers there. They take all the land or most of the land and leave the people with little land, so they are forced into urban areas where they nationalsmbecome labour reservoirs. You get huge townships but people without employment. And then you have the great incidence of crime. No, we don’t want to get to that situation at all. We want people to love their land, to do as much with their land as they can, and produce for themselves, for the region, and even for the markets outside Africa.

NA: Talking about the benefi ts of the liberation struggle and the national good, do you ever meet, informally, behind the scenes, say over tea, with the opposition, the MDC leadership, and talk about some of these things that matter to the nation, the national good? Once a teacher, always a teacher: Mugabe demonstrates his teaching skills Mugabe: Have they the minds to comprehend? They act in front of an audience of Zimbabwe’s chiefs as if they don’t have the same mental abilities as ourselves. When people really have to abandon their own beings and the best thing the white farmers could have done was to join subject themselves to infl uences from others, and only listen us so we could be a joint force, not petitioning the British but to those others, then you begin to wonder whether you can rather persuading them and pressuring them that they accept ever be at one with them. And this is our worry. They have not the burden of paying compensation in accordance with our yet started thinking nationally. No, they are still thinking of understanding at Lancaster House. linking themselves with colonial powers to be facilitated But no, the whites didn’t want that because if that facility by outsiders, and that is the point that really unnerves some was made available, it would have then implied that they of us. were going to lose their land; that we were going to be And they appear to be the only people who are doing that in facilitated in purchasing their land. But as it happened, they the whole of Africa, at least the extent they are going cannot have lost both! be found anywhere in Africa. I know that in some situations, some opposition parties have sought some assistance, usually NA: And now the opposition is saying let’s go for a new fi nancial from outside. Well, that is not as much as to say constitution. The National Constitutional Assembly politically please be our mentors. And actually you beg them to (NCA) is campaigning for a new constitution. assist you into power, haaah! Mugabe: Well, what’s wrong with our current constitution? So we regard them as anathema, really. And yes, we’ve Now we are saying well and good – you rejected the draft talked to them but only on political matters, constitutional constitution that we presented in 2000, and we can’t go back matters, especially when we were working on that infamous to it. We will now amend the constitution in accordance with constitution, the draft that never saw the light of day, which what we regard as the necessary amendments to be made – the was submitted to the people in February 2000. We regarded the two Houses of Parliament, the Senate; and also increasing the referendum as a national one but we did not ask our people to composition of parliament as it is. For example, if we have a vote for the party as such. Senate, what will be the standing of the chiefs appointed to But naturally, the MDC – because the draft constitution parliament? Will they continue to be accommodated in the had provisions that affected the rights of the white commercial lower house which is currently the national assembly, or will farmers, and affected them in a sense which they did not they go to the upper house? And of course the governors as approve – they voted against it! And what was that? The well, what numbers are we talking about? main provision in regard to the land issue was to lay the The draft constitution, I think, had a composition of 200 burden or obligation of providing compensation for land on members for the lower house and 60 for the upper house. the British. Whether we will come to that, I don’t know. It was for that reason that they voted against the draft Yes, the opposition can express their views in parliament or constitution; otherwise it was the best they could ever have outside parliament on those issues, and we can discuss them. got, with lots of their views in it – and for the white man too. I But at the same time, we will naturally be asking them to think it was very foolish for the whites to reject that. I thought sever their current relations with the British and look home,

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because this is where they derive their power, not from amendments to the constitution and any others we might the British. desire to make. They should think African, and not think white. Their respect for the white man should be proportional to his NA: Yet you announced during your recent trip to the being a human being. But other than that, the white man is Far East that you would retire when your current not superior to the black man. In fact, as things are, he term expires in 2008 – three years down the road. But is quite inferior. And his moral norms leave a lot to be you say you don’t want to be drawn into anointing desired. a successor. Some of your citizens are worried that, There they are, a community like the British, which says: without a clear candidate to take over from you, your “You are a man but you can be the wife of someone else retirement might lead to a power struggle in the party and we can marry you; and you here are a woman but you that could destabilise the country. can turn into a husband.” Haaaaah! I mean you just try to Mugabe: But let the president also anoint someone and there comprehend it. In our own societies in Africa, when a man would be an outcry – “why this, why not give a chance to this turns into a woman or a woman into a man, we say “aaah, and that?” The democratic way is the best one, really. there is something wrong, he or she is abnormal”, and we Yesterday, people were wondering who was going to succeed accept abnormality. the late vice president, Simon Muzenda. It was very clear who But for a community, and even the Church of England, to was going to succeed Joshua Nkomo because the number two accept that a man can marry a man, I don’t know whether they on the former ZAPU side was bound to step into the shoes of accept that the two can produce a child. [Laughs]. What is the Joshua Nkomo as first vice president. world becoming? It’s terrible. That kind of mentality or culture You see, the understanding between ZANU and ZAPU at is quite foreign to us. the Unity Accord in 1987 was that there would be two vice And the lies that Bush and Blair have presidents, one drawn from ZAPU and been telling, OK, we are not all above the other from ZANU. So it was very clear reproach, but for them to really lead the who was going to step into the shoes of world on the basis of lies, and tell blatant Joshua Nkomo when he died. It wasn’t as lies, still tell lies about Zimbabwe just now, “The message we continually give to clear who was going to step into the shoes ignore completely what the Africans are our people is don’t allow the whites of Muzenda on the ZANU side. And there saying, and even ironically say “what’s once again to turn us into colonial would have been no real problems such as slaves. Zimbabwe will never be a wrong with the Africans? They are that we experienced if the people had done it in colony again. Small as we are, we close to the situation and they don’t see have that sense of pride which a straight-forward way. But others wanted what we can see from afar”. exudes all the time. We are African to do it in a clandestine way and in a way Just imagine? They see better than and we are proud to be African.” that was unconstitutional and completely we who are on the spot and can judge threatening to the unity of the party. And that a thing is right or wrong. Now what so we took action against them. mentality is that? What people are we dealing with? Are those But the women in the party, at the same time also presented people really fit to be international leaders? They don’t tell the a principle that wherever there are three persons appointed in truth! And what paths are they now charting for the rest of the the same area, either in government or in the party, one must world? be a woman. They wanted 33% female representation in every So these are the people, the likes of Tsvangirai, well, pray situation of that nature. So they brought in this principle and for him, he was not exposed to the amenities that some of us they wanted it to apply immediately. were exposed. Although he has the ambition, but it is a hollow And it was done, even though some of our people were ambition, which is not clothed in any greater understanding disappointed. But there it is, we have a vice president in the and intellectual appreciation of some of these things. party and government who is a lady, and one does not know But there are people like Welshman Ncube [the MDC what will happen when it comes to the succession of President secretary general], who was a lecturer at the university and Mugabe. The people will make their choice. knows better. Therefore, sometimes you can see that his If I anoint somebody... even in the Catholic Church there statements are watered down, they are not as emotional as is some voting. The Pope, holy as he is, is not anointed from those of the primitive mind of my brother who wants my seat. above. He is first chosen by the people and anointed by the [Laughs]. Lord Almighty afterwards. [Laughter all round].

NA: You and your party went out during the recent NA: Your critics at home and abroad say you have put a elections to campaign for a two-thirds majority in soft female vice president in a strategic position to take parliament. Now that you have it, what are you going to over from you, so that she will look after your back do with it? when you are gone. Is that the case? Mugabe: Well, this is what I was talking about – those Mugabe: Well, it is the women in the party who actually

Zimbabwe n Special Report 9 Zimbabwe Silver Jubilee 25 years of Independence, Democracy and Development

wanted it. We had to comply with the women’s wishes. Yeah, The presidents of both the IMF and World Bank – James we supported them because constitutionally we had accepted Wolfershon and Horst Kohler were there. And they said: “Yes, it in the party, that the quota – the 33% female representation certainly, we think you deserve help and we would want to Swaziland– was necessary. And the women wanted itEnglish to start there and help Language you.” And I said: “What are you going to do?” And Kohler then. And they were serious. Yeah, I went along, and the replied, giggling: “I must pass fi rst through Europe and then presidium – I was with Msika only [the fi rst vice president], Washington, and Europe and Washington would say no.” and we accepted the principle. That is it! And Europe and Washington have been ensuring nationalsmBut the choice was done by the women themselves; they that we don’t get assistance that would go towards supporting chose Teurai Mujuru and we accepted the choice. She is a our own economic programmes here. And this is what has strong-willed person, she has the stature, good character and is happened, and of course the effect of it is to reduce the very committed. We were with her in the struggle in the bush. amounts of foreign currency we have here, and also to reduce So she has all that it takes to be a vice president. But the people trade as much as possible, although certain agreed forms of will make the choice in the future as to who they desire to be trade with Europe have continued. Well, they like our beef and president, to take over from me. But really, if the people think I they still call it Rhodesian Beef instead of Zimbabwean Beef. have already anointed her, why are they worried? We have a beef quota to Europe of 9,200 tonnes. Then there is sugar, we do export some sugar – I think the quota to America NA: In fact, to be fair, the criticisms are coming more might have been abolished. But we continue to send our from abroad, they are saying you have manoeuvred to fl owers to Amsterdam like anyone else. get a soft woman in that strategic position, so she can But Britain has imposed sanctions. For example, we bought look after your back when you are gone? some Hawks (military jets) from Britain and we now need Mugabe: Soft? spare parts for them but Britain has said no, that’s why we have now grounded all our Hawks. And Britain is losing NA: So they say. because we have resorted to a “Look East Policy” and we now Mugabe: Eeeeeiiiii! She is one of the strongest ladies you can have similar planes from China. We are even proceeding now ever have. Very fi rm! Uuuugh! Not Teurai. She is not soft! with our civil aviation to acquire planes from China.

NA: In your Sky News interview last year, you talked NA: Is it right to say that the massive implosion of your about sanctions imposed by the West on Zimbabwe economy in 2002 and 2003 was due largely to these without giving any details. Could you tell us more sanctions? by being specifi c? What type of sanctions have they Mugabe: Yes, of course. Yes! The sanctions have led to lack of imposed? investments and so on, and we had to adjust… Mugabe: Blair again, and that’s why we call him B-liar. He asked member countries of the European Union to impose NA: …And yet they accuse you of being a bad manager personal sanctions on the top leadership of our party, on of the economy although the same person has been government ministers and other outstanding people who are managing the economy for the past 25 years, and they supporters of the party. That was done. don’t say how he became a bad manager overnight? That is the overt part of his actions. The covert part was Mugabe: Well, this is the issue, and if I am a bad manager, for him now to appeal to the EU members and the Americans why is the economy still going in the manner in which it is, and who wanted very much Blair’s support on Iraq, not to have sustaining the country in spite of their sanctions? The people economic links with us. He discouraged investment in whose sanctions have failed to get my government to collapse, Zimbabwe. I told Sky News all this. to get the economy to collapse, are the ones who are saying so; it’s ironical, isn’t it? NA: They edited it out of the interview. Mugabe: Well, but a lot of countries in Europe responded NA: Which leads me to another ironic situation where to Blair’s approach, and started either not proceeding with countries with worse human rights and democratic whatever investment agreements or proposals they had put in records are still members of the Commonwealth and place for Zimbabwe, or reducing their grants and soft loans to Zimbabwe was suspended, leading to your quitting Zimbabwe. the organisation. If Zimbabwe is invited back into the The British and the Americans also applied the same Commonwealth, will you rejoin? infl uence on the IMF and the World Bank. Not long ago, I Mugabe: No, no. It’s a useless body to start with, and it has attended a meeting held jointly by the World Bank and IMF in treated us in a dishonourable manner. No, we can’t – and I Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. We explained to them the position want it written into the constitution, no I’m joking [laughter – the land situation at the time, what we had managed to do all round] – I want it written really in the hearts of the people in the country in spite of sometimes the interference from the that we will not go back. We will establish relations with IMF, and they were very impressed. individual members of the Commonwealth, there is nothing

10 Special Report n June 2005 The President’s interview

wrong with that. And even if we get a Britain which is not And Prince Charles said he was the one sent to Zimbabwe by run in the same way in regard to our relations as the Britain Britain to lower the British flag on 17 April 1980 midnight, and of Blair, fine. We will mend our relations – this is what I told we had good relations. In fact, we discussed a lot of things at that Prince Charles when we met in Rome recently at the Pope’s meeting in Rome which cannot be talked about in this interview. funeral, but please don’t put him into trouble. We discussed relations and we said we have tremendous NA: Tony Blair has just won a third term in office and respect for the Queen, every member of the Royal Family has all the reporting is saying it is “historic” – historic been to Zimbabwe, and we have tremendous respect for every third term. But if an African president had gone for a member of that family. We have souvenirs of their visits here, third term, he would be called an autocrat, wouldn’t he? all of them – to the man, they have been here. We respect them Mugabe: Well, as far as the British are concerned, they would and we continue to respect them. go for a third, even a fourth term; Margaret Thatcher tried to But not so their man, Mr Blair. I don’t know whether the do that. Their unwritten constitution allows it, and I don’t see Labour Party in the future without Blair will mend its relations any reason why if your constitution allows it, you cannot go for with us. If they do, well and good; we’ve been open, we’ve never a third term. refused to talk to any member of Blair’s government. But let me show him my hand, he runs away [Laughter all round]. NA: So after the two recent elections – in Zimbabwe and Britain – do you see any improvement on the NA: Which incidentally leads to the next question on horizon in the relations between your two countries, my list, your meeting with Prince Charles in Rome. and by extension the West? You said in your Independence Day speech three weeks Mugabe: Well, it depends on Mr Blair. If he continues to ago that Prince Charles came here on 17 April 1980 to maintain this don’t-touch-me, I-am-untouchable attitude, well see the lowering of the Union Jack and the raising of and good; we won’t extend our hand to him. But if he wants Zimbabwe’s new flag at independence. Tell us, what to open his doors or wants us to open our doors, fine. His actually happened when you met him in Rome recently. people can come here, my people can go to London and discuss Did you deliberately go out of your way to shake his relations, and mend our relations. hand for political purposes? But of course he is a bully, and bullies are not known to Mugabe: No, I was just greeting him the normal way, really. change their ways until they get someone who can actually I couldn’t sit there next to him – there was of course Herbert knock them into submission. The bully continues to be a bully. Murerwa, our finance minister, on Blair’s seat, and he was Blair wants to continue to maintain this headmaster type of between me and Prince Charles, and we were chatting, attitude – you must submit, after all you are a black nigger. chatting, chatting, chatting. And we say, “Come on, small as we are, we have that sense of Murerwa was talking about his days as our high pride which exudes all the time. We are African and we are commissioner in Britain, and when he was invited to visit proud to be African. Highgrove, Prince Charles’ palace, where he was received by Prince Charles. Murerwa still remembers those days. NA: Talking about Blair reminds me of Condoleezza Rice. I guess you don’t expect a Christmas card from her this year, do you? Mugabe: Oh no, no. I wouldn’t have her even for a girlfriend, would I? [Laughter all round].

NA: And people say by calling her “that girl born out of the slave ancestry”, you were in effect being offensive to all African-Americans. Mugabe: No, I was actually reminding her that we had suffered in the past, that all of us blacks were turned into slaves – those who went to America and those who remained on the continent, we all became slaves. They became slaves away from home and we became slaves right at home. And has she forgotten it? This was the message I wanted to drive into her mind – let’s not forget how the white man has treated us in the past. Pure and simple. But of course, if they want to narrow it into that kind of thinking, they are free to do so. But this is the message, and Mugabe: “We’ve never refused to talk to any member of Blair’s government. But let me it is a message we continually give to our own people – don’t show him my hand, he runs away” allow the whites once again to turn us into colonial slaves.

Zimbabwe n Special Report 11 Zimbabwe Silver Jubilee 25 years of Independence, Democracy and Development

Zimbabwe will never be a colony again. And that is precisely what we mean. We don’t want to be turned into slaves or semi- Swazilandslaves once again. English Language Zimbabwe honours African heroes NA: Let’s fi nish, Mr President, by talking a bit about our continent. Is the African Union on course? nationalsmMugabe: Yes, it’s on course, but we must be African, have “Through such awards, we reaffi rm our African-ness, a sense of independence really, and accept that lots of things challenging the false gods who have sat long and heavy must be done by us without resorting to Europe. That, when on our real heroes, our real history, thanks to colonial we interact with Europe or America, we do so on the basis of education. We proclaim our pan-African spirit, stressing equality and not on the master-servant kind of relationship. And if we get aid, that aid must not subject us to the will we shall never be a colony again,” Mugabe says as of the donors, no. It must be aid given on the understanding Zimbabwe kicks off year-long silver jubilee celebrations. that we are equals, that it will be used to develop our own environment, our own people. And that it must be well given, given with a view to assisting either friends or a nation that the donors would want to help to develop. And please, the leadership must never, never accept that aid can ever buy or undermine their independence. It should never undermine the independence that cost us so many lives in Africa to win. Of course, not every country went to war like Zimbabwe, Namibia, Angola and Mozambique, but still those who got their independence after political negotiations, still lost quite a lot – their people were treated as colonial subjects and their resources were exploited for years. Now we can’t allow that situation to come about once again merely because of our economic relations with the West, and Africa must stand proud and be free, a free Africa. That’s why I like and admire Nkrumah and those after him – Nyerere and others. They said we had to retain our The former Zambian president, Kenneth Kaunda, receives his award from President Mugabe independence, and that is still the message. And then we must develop an African personality and an African culture, and be able to withstand the machinations of the West. That’s why Zimbabwe’s silver jubilee celebrations kicked off on 17 April with the Nkrumah lost his seat through the coup d’état in February bestowal of honours and awards on heroes at home and abroad who 1966, but the message he gave us is all there for us to follow. had distinguished themselves in different fi elds of endeavour and in But of course, some latter day presidents in Africa get us the service of the liberation and development of Zimbabwe and its people. The honours were in three categories. The highest – the Order worried a lot. Zimbabwe is a young country and independence of the Star of Zimbabwe is awarded for superlative achievements and came to us in an environment in which the whole of Africa performance in various fi elds – social, cultural, economic or public under the OAU, using its arm called the Liberation Committee, service. supported us. It did the same to the Mozambicans, the The second – the Order of the Great Zimbabwe, was named after Angolans, the Namibians and the South Africans. the Great Zimbabwe monument, the sublime architectural complex And so we think of Africa and African leaders as people which stands today, near the south-central city of Masvingo, as the outcrop of the vibrant pre-colonial African civilisation that, at its who have a high national consciousness, people we expect to height, developed trade and cultural ties with territories as far afi eld continue in the same political frame as that in which Nkrumah as India, Indonesia and China. The award is given to gallant sons and was, in which Nyerere was, in which Sekou Toure was, and daughters whose legacy of selfl ess service to the liberation, survival Nasser was; and Ben Bellah who is still alive, was – that of not and development of Zimbabwe is both immortal and indelible. yielding to colonialism or neo-colonialism as Nkrumah used The third – the Royal Order of Munhumutapa, was named after King to call it, you see it was Nkrumah who gave us all those words Munhumutapa, the founding father of the greatest empire that existed south of the Kasambabezi River (called Zambezi by the Europeans) – neo-colonialism and so on. during the pre-colonial era. Munhumutapa was renowned for being And so we remain faithful to these leaders who assisted us a great architect, strategist and a unifying force in the confederacy. to liberate ourselves. And we remain faithful to the principles The origins of Zimbabwe as a nation state, its pan-African perspective they enunciated so clearly – that we must be free, we must be and deep ancestry of relations with the countries now constituting the independent, we must be sovereign, and we must have the right SADC, can be traced back to the Munhumutapa Empire. of self determination as enshrined in the UN Charter. g NA

12 Special Report n June 2005 Honours and Awards

Zimbabwe honours African heroes

The award is thus a befitting honour for the former leaders of the the Frontline States, all deceased except one – the evergreen Kenneth Frontline States – Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania, Botswana and David Kaunda, the former president of Zambia, who added colour Angola – who provided political solidarity and unity in supporting the and joy to the night’s proceedings by sprinting from where he sat and liberation of Zimbabwe by offering rear bases, and in so doing bore the dancing his way to receive his award from President Mugabe. brunt of the ire of Ian Smith’s Rhodesian regime. The other four recipients were former presidents – Julius Nyerere of President Mugabe handed the awards to the recipients on 17 April, Tanzania, Sir Seretse Khama of Botswana, Agostinho Neto of Angola and in the case of those receiving it posthumously, their surviving and Samora Moises Machel of Mozambique. relatives stood in for them. Speaking at the ceremony, President Mugabe said in extending the The Order of the Star of Zimbabwe (gold) went to Dr Bernard honour to the “luminaries of Southern Africa”, Zimbabwe was drawing Gibson Chidzero, a novelist, scholar, thinker, attention to their epic deeds for Africa. international civil servant and the first finance “Indeed, a free Zimbabwe, as indeed a free minister of independent Zimbabwe. As President Namibia and a free South Africa, illustrate Mugabe put it: “Chidzero contributed immensely these men’s percussive accomplishments to the development of our country, laying the which today translate into free and basis for social justice and equity through his independent nations and peoples. We are vision on the economy.” free, thanks to these gallant men,” Mugabe The other gold recipient, Professor Solomon said. He also thanked the people of the Mangwiro Mutsvairo, is also a distinguished Frontline States who, for the duration of the poet, scholar and educationalist. “In 1957,” liberation struggles in Southern African, President Mugabe said, “Mutsvairo published bore the brunt of the white minority regimes a short but pregnant novel called Feso which in Rhodesia and South Africa. carried a deeply nationalist and, therefore, “The people of Tanzania, Botswana, ‘subversive’ lamentation called ‘Nehanda Angola, Mozambique and Zambia were Nyakasikana’. In it, art embedded bitter and repeatedly aggressed by the racist questioning politics that appealed to the Rhodesians and their Boer friends then nether for salvation to colonial occupation and running apartheid South Africa,” Mugabe spoliation. It is a poem that assumed anthemic said. “Classified as rear bases for our stature and halo as political consciousness liberation movements, the Frontline States developed within the occupied African people. were taken as legitimate targets and took “Predictably, the colonial authorities were to repeated blows. Lives of their numerous ban it, but not before it had already played its The honoured: (clockwise from top left) Former Presidents Sir citizens were lost, always in raids meant part in rallying the nation behind the struggle. Seretse Khama (Botswana), Julius Nyerere (Tanzania), Agostinho for us, the Patriotic Front… They became Neto (Angola), and Samora Machel (Mozambique) It became a weapon of struggle, but also an the collateral of our struggles. The human invitation to danger on the part of whoever toll and economic cost of our liberation recited it in public, as our late Vice President Muzenda was to see.” struggle to our neighbours were very heavy. It was Prof Mutsvairo who, after independence, wrote Zimbabwe’s “These societies,” Mugabe continued, “could have rebelled against national anthem. the governments led by these heroic men we gather to honour tonight. The Order of the Great Zimbabwe (gold) was bestowed These societies could have turned against them, creating very difficult posthumously on Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo, the former vice circumstances for our liberation movements which used their territory president who died in 1999; and Dr Simon Vengai Muzenda, also a as launch pads. former vice president who died in 2004. “The five men could have simply given up on us, and there were real, The silver version of the award went to Leopold Tapfumaneyi compelling political, economic and military reasons for that stance. Takawira, the former president of ZANU who died at the hands of his But they did not. Instead, they remained consistent and persistent, Rhodesian jailers in the then notorious Salisbury Maximum Prison, knowing very well that our struggle would be protracted.” “a victim of an unshakeable search for freedom”, as President Mugabe Mugabe said the awards were just the start of greater things to put it. “I worked with him, in fact under him as a young teacher and come. “We are fully conscious that for every one we honour, dozens yes, as a cub-politician. He was my elder in every respect,” Mugabe more are deserving, hundreds more will emerge in future. We will added. honour more, both within and outside our country and region,” he said, The other silver recipient was Dr Tichafa Samuel Parirenyatwa, adding: “Founders of our continent deserve this honour, and names the former vice president of ZAPU, who “died in circumstances we like Kwame Nkrumah, Sekou Toure, Abdel Nasser and others loom still cannot explain to his people, but circumstances heavily indicting large and insistent. the racist Rhodesians,” Mugabe said. He was the first African doctor “Through such awards, we reaffirm our African-ness, challenging produced by Zimbabwe, a man deeply conscious of, and committed to, the false gods who have sat long and heavy on our real heroes, our his people’s struggle. real history, thanks to colonial education. We proclaim our pan-African The Royal Order of Munhumutapa was awarded to five leaders of spirit, stressing we shall never be a colony again.” g NA

Zimbabwe n Special Report 13