OWN CORRESPONDENT and REUTERS, New York | Saturday
ZIMBABWEAN President Robert Mugabe has vowed to press ahead with his much-criticised seizure of white-owned farms and launched a blistering attack on the world’s powerful nations, saying they should not be allowed to recolonize Africa by stealth.
Mugabe’s fierce speech to a special United Nations Millennial Summit put a huge question mark over efforts by UN Secretary-General Chief Kofi Annan to give Zimbabwe an escape route out of its worsening land crisis.
Mugabe lashed out at critics such as Britain, saying their response had been “staggering beyond description. My country, my government, my party and my person are labelled ‘land grabbers’, demonised, reviled and threatened with sanctions in the face of accusations of reverse-racism,” he thundered.
“But our conscience is clear. We will not go back. We shall continue to effect economic and social justice for all our people without fear or favour.”
Donors, led by Britain, say they will not renew aid until Zimbabwe restores order on the export-earning farms. At least 31 people, including 26 opposition activists and five white farmers, were killed during the farm invasions.
Since June, Mugabe has served notice to acquire more than 2 000 of the 3 041 white-owned farms earmarked for the resettlement of landless blacks. The government has also passed legislation absolving it of responsibility to pay compensation.
Annan gave Mugabe conditional support for the land seizures this week but said Harare had to settle its differences with key Western donors.
But instead of trying to mollify Britain and other providers of much-needed development aid Mugabe said their headlong dash down the path to globalisation threatened the very independence of poorer nations such as Zimbabwe.
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