According to Business Day on Wednesday, Mugabe reportedly said that Zimbabweans run the South African economy. He also said that Zimbabwe had areas in which it was superior compared to South Africa.
"Jobs in hospitality translate to them running the economy. Really?" chuckled International Relations and Co-operation spokesperson Clayson Monyela.
Although Mugabe admitted shame over the thousands of Zimbabweans making a living in a foreign country, he was quick to add that he was not to blame. He said it was regrettable that South Africans are threatened by Zimbabweans and have shown their frustration through violence.
He conceded that their desire was to create jobs for their people, but claimed his efforts were hampered by the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) who would not release money to distressed companies. He accused the MDC of jeopardising the prospects of Zimbabweans.
But he said Zimbabwe still had a better education system than South Africa. According to him, Zimbabwe holds undisputed supremacy when it comes to literacy. Despite economic challenges, he maintains, Zimbabwe "still had a better education system than South Africa and all African countries".
He cited figures that put Zimbabwe's literacy rate at 91% and SA's at 86% – third in Africa.
He also condemned South Africa for their stance on gay rights, claiming that they should not be upheld as they are not human rights. "Gays and lesbians are worse than pigs and dogs. We cannot allow our children to be worse than wild animals," he said during the rally.
Although aware of these utterances, the office of the president declined to comment on any of the issues.