Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has weighed in on the debate around the legacy of Cecil John Rhodes‚ describing Rhodes as a “strange and mischievous man”.
“We have his corpse and you have his statue. What do you want us do with him? Dig him up? We cannot tell you what to do with the statue but we and my people feel we need to leave him down there‚” he said‚ to laughter from his audience‚ mainly journalists.
Speaking at the Union Buildings yesterday after the signing bilateral agreements‚ Mugabe said they did not know Rhodes until he was “forwarded to us as a corpse”.
Mugabe also used the occasion to tear into the United Nations’ Security Council‚ saying it was controlled by five permanent members – United States‚ France‚ Britain‚ China and Russia – to the detriment of other non-permanent member states.
He said if one of the big five countries rejected a resolution‚ that resolution was vetoed.
“We are wondering if we could go on with resolutions that are rejected and become a circus. Are we foolish? Can’t we bind ourselves and say this or are without us?” he asked.
The 91-year-old president claimed the Security Council’s bullying tactics were the reason Libya’s leader Muammar Gaddafi was hounded and killed so that oil could be sucked from his country.
“It is the brutal approach of the West. They are the ones who say they gave Christianity to Africa but look at what they are doing.”
Mugabe thanked South Africa for accommodating his countrymen despite them “crossing the border without passports…disturbing the country’s social system”.
He also thanked journalists for paying attention to him and the publicity he was given as a “dictator”, but said if he were one he would have cut off the head of the former president of his country, Ian Smith.
“ we worked with him. We allowed him not only to have his farm but his father’s farm.”
Ministers from both countries signed cooperation agreements on the establishment of a binational commission‚ diplomatic consultations‚ mutual assistance between customs administrations for the establishment of a one-stop border post‚ cooperation on water resource management and establishing a joint water commission as well as on trade cooperation.
President Jacob Zuma said the two neighbouring countries not only shared strong historical relations but also strong economic cooperation to the extent the economies of the two were inextricably linked.
“The historic fraternal relations between our countries necessitated that we work closely together for the betterment of the lives of our people and also promote sustainable development in our region‚” Zuma said.
Earlier, Mugabe’s spokesman George Charamba said the Zimbabwe president was not coming to South Africa with a “begging bowl”.
He said Zimbabwe was a viable state seeking partnerships with South Africa‚ not assistance.
The Zimbabwe Independent newspaper reported that Mugabe may ask Zuma to help fund a Southern African Development Community summit on industrialisation due to take place in Harare on April 26.
Mugabe arrived in the country on Tuesday with his wife Grace‚ foreign affairs minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi‚ finance minister Patrick Chinamasa and environment minister Saviour Kasukuwere.
Mugabe makes light of Rhodes squabble
“We have his corpse and you have his statue. What do you want us do with him? Dig him up? We cannot tell you what to do with the statue but we and my people feel we need to leave him down there‚” he said‚ to laughter from his audience‚ mainly journalists.
Speaking at the Union Buildings yesterday after the signing bilateral agreements‚ Mugabe said they did not know Rhodes until he was “forwarded to us as a corpse”.
Mugabe also used the occasion to tear into the United Nations’ Security Council‚ saying it was controlled by five permanent members – United States‚ France‚ Britain‚ China and Russia – to the detriment of other non-permanent member states.
He said if one of the big five countries rejected a resolution‚ that resolution was vetoed.
“We are wondering if we could go on with resolutions that are rejected and become a circus. Are we foolish? Can’t we bind ourselves and say this or are without us?” he asked.
The 91-year-old president claimed the Security Council’s bullying tactics were the reason Libya’s leader Muammar Gaddafi was hounded and killed so that oil could be sucked from his country.
“It is the brutal approach of the West. They are the ones who say they gave Christianity to Africa but look at what they are doing.”
Mugabe thanked South Africa for accommodating his countrymen despite them “crossing the border without passports…disturbing the country’s social system”.
He also thanked journalists for paying attention to him and the publicity he was given as a “dictator”, but said if he were one he would have cut off the head of the former president of his country, Ian Smith.
“ we worked with him. We allowed him not only to have his farm but his father’s farm.”
Ministers from both countries signed cooperation agreements on the establishment of a binational commission‚ diplomatic consultations‚ mutual assistance between customs administrations for the establishment of a one-stop border post‚ cooperation on water resource management and establishing a joint water commission as well as on trade cooperation.
President Jacob Zuma said the two neighbouring countries not only shared strong historical relations but also strong economic cooperation to the extent the economies of the two were inextricably linked.
“The historic fraternal relations between our countries necessitated that we work closely together for the betterment of the lives of our people and also promote sustainable development in our region‚” Zuma said.
Earlier, Mugabe’s spokesman George Charamba said the Zimbabwe president was not coming to South Africa with a “begging bowl”.
He said Zimbabwe was a viable state seeking partnerships with South Africa‚ not assistance.
The Zimbabwe Independent newspaper reported that Mugabe may ask Zuma to help fund a Southern African Development Community summit on industrialisation due to take place in Harare on April 26.
Mugabe arrived in the country on Tuesday with his wife Grace‚ foreign affairs minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi‚ finance minister Patrick Chinamasa and environment minister Saviour Kasukuwere.
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