Defiant Mugabe blasts West

[Fluffybunny]

CAIRO, Egypt (CNN) -- Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's spokesman said Tuesday that talk of Western intervention in the country's politics smacks of colonialism, and that the United Kingdom "can go and hang a thousand times." Britain, which ruled then-Rhodesia for decades until 1980, is among several Western entities denouncing Mugabe's campaign tactics and declaring his runoff victory illegitimate. Speaking to a gaggle of reporters at the two-day African Union summit in Egypt, spokesman George Charamba defended the Mugabe regime's resistance to outside influence, saying, "The way out is a way defined by the Zimbabwean people."

"For as long as there are some external interests that are seeking to express themselves within our own politics, then naturally we have that kind of resistance because for us it recalls a certain experience, ugly experience, we have gone through before -- that of colonialism," he said. Watch bodyguards hold back Mugabe at summit »

Asked specifically about Zimbabwe's former colonial ruler, Charamba bristled.

"They can go and hang. They can go and hang a thousand times. They have no basis. They have no claim on Zimbabwean politics at all and that is exactly the issue," Charamba said of Britain. Mugabe, Zimbabwe's only leader since its independence from Britain in 1980, handily won last week's runoff election against opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai. Mugabe was the only candidate after Tsvangirai dropped out of the race, citing widespread violence, intimidation and vote rigging.

(Can anyone spot the irony in the photo above? My vote spoke! Only one guy in the election because he scared/killed off the competition...)

Amid an international outcry, Western leaders pressed the African Union to join them in firmly denouncing the elections. A U.N. official described the summit as "a moment of truth."

Also, the Elders, a council of former world leaders led by former South African President Nelson Mandela, urged the AU to "clearly state" that Zimbabwe's presidential runoff was illegitimate.

Rest of story

[Cleomenes]

I maintain that Zimbabwe (or Rhodesia) was better off under Ian Smith. Hell, I understand the desire to want native rule, but I've seen little to suggest that Africa as a whole is better off now than it was during the colonial era.

[Guardsman Bass]

Ah, to be an 84-year-old dictator sitting on top of an edifice of military and Zanu (PF) corruption that will probably last for the rest of life because all of them need you to live on, lest their special position on top of a pile of shi-it collapse. And, of course, to have many, many friends in Africa who will do nothing (even when they are democracies), because that might involve Involving the [white] West in [black] Africa, and of course, we can't do that; you just never know when Britain might decide they want Rhodesia again, am I right?

[stevewinn]

No way is Britain wanting Zimbabwe back, they got what they wanted and have now found the grass wasn't greener so, they'll just have sort themselves out. Britain should stay out of it, and for Africa acting, half the leaders in Africa weren't elected either so they cant say too much,

Mugabe blames the UK for everything, but that's expected because he's not going to admit hes ****ed his country up, its an African problem let them sort it,.

[Mekorig]

While South-Africa keep supporting Mugabe, he will stay in power. Cut the support, and he will fall under his own weight.

[AROCES]

While South-Africa keep supporting Mugabe, he will stay in power. Cut the support, and he will fall under his own weight.

And if he does not fall, what then?

[Atheist God]

While South-Africa keep supporting Mugabe, he will stay in power. Cut the support, and he will fall under his own weight.

Other nations like China support Mugabe not to mention the endless support by other leaders in the region.... Cutting the support from South Africa would likely have little to no impact on Zimbabwe.

[hetrodoxly]

CAIRO, Egypt (CNN) -- Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's spokesman said Tuesday that talk of Western intervention in the country's politics smacks of colonialism, and that the United Kingdom "can go and hang a thousand times." Britain, which ruled then-Rhodesia for decades until 1980, is among several Western entities denouncing Mugabe's campaign tactics and declaring his runoff victory illegitimate. Speaking to a gaggle of reporters at the two-day African Union summit in Egypt, spokesman George Charamba defended the Mugabe regime's resistance to outside influence, saying, "The way out is a way defined by the Zimbabwean people."

"For as long as there are some external interests that are seeking to express themselves within our own politics, then naturally we have that kind of resistance because for us it recalls a certain experience, ugly experience, we have gone through before -- that of colonialism," he said. Watch bodyguards hold back Mugabe at summit »

Asked specifically about Zimbabwe's former colonial ruler, Charamba bristled.

"They can go and hang. They can go and hang a thousand times. They have no basis. They have no claim on Zimbabwean politics at all and that is exactly the issue," Charamba said of Britain. Mugabe, Zimbabwe's only leader since its independence from Britain in 1980, handily won last week's runoff election against opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai. Mugabe was the only candidate after Tsvangirai dropped out of the race, citing widespread violence, intimidation and vote rigging.

(Can anyone spot the irony in the photo above? My vote spoke! Only one guy in the election because he scared/killed off the competition...)

Amid an international outcry, Western leaders pressed the African Union to join them in firmly denouncing the elections. A U.N. official described the summit as "a moment of truth."

Also, the Elders, a council of former world leaders led by former South African President Nelson Mandela, urged the AU to "clearly state" that Zimbabwe's presidential runoff was illegitimate.

Rest of story

Rhodesia government led by Ian Smith made a Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965.