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By Dennis Rekayi MUTARE - Edgar Tekere, the controversial former Zanu PF secretary general, says Zimbabweans must not be fooled by President Robert Mugabe to believe that the country is under Western-backed sanctions because the punitive measures are targeted only at a few individuals in the ruling government and party. The tough-talking maverick politician said Zimbabweans should never accept propaganda by Mugabe and his party that the whole population was under the sanctions backed by the European Union, the United States, New Zealand and other countries in the West. He said problems bedevilling Zimbabwe should be placed squarely on Mugabe and his bungling government which promised people milk and honey at independence only to drive the country into chaos through greed, corruption, mismanagement and related things. Tekere said this while addressing members of the Mutare Press Club at the weekend. Mugabe and his government have for the past few years been blaming the so-called targeted sanctions imposed by the EU and others after the disputed 2002 presidential elections for crippling the country's economy. Many blame Mugabe's controversial policies such as the land-grab programme for destroying the backbone of the country's economy. Tekere said Mugabe was deliberately hoodwinking the entire population to believe the country was under sanctions when it was not. "The sanctions are targeted on Mugabe not all Zimbabweans," Tekere told members of the Mutare Press Club. "That's a lot of nonsense because the sanctions are not targeted at all Zimbabweans." He said Mugabe was the biggest loser since can no longer to travel to England, a country "he is so fond of". "Mugabe was very fond of London. Even if he could travel to Latin America, India, or countries in Africa, Mugabe would make it a point that he went via London," said Tekere. "Now he is no longer going there to shop around." At the Mutare Press Club, Tekere warned he could take legal action against individuals such as Augustine Chihuri, the police chief, for defaming him after the launch of his book, the Struggle of a Lifetime, which the Zanu PF government has been trying to rubbish since it was published. Chihuri was quoted in the state-controlled Herald newspaper last week saying Tekere could not be considered for the leadership of both Zanu PF and the country during the war of liberation because he was a "drunkard". Chihuri was dismissing claims contained in Tekere's book that it was the former Zimbabwe Unity Movement leader, who propelled Mugabe to the ruling party and the country's leadership. "That is serious defamation," Tekere warned. "Chihuri is a custodian of the law. He should not trample on it." Meanwhile the campaign urging the EU to renew the targeted sanctions against Mugabe and his lieutenants is gathering momentum with human rights groups and international labour unions leading the way to present evidence why the EU should not be divided over the issue. The sanctions expire in February. The British government has since dismissed media reports that there are divisions within the EU over targeted sanctions imposed in 2002. There are also on-going campaigns to stop the French from inviting President Mugabe to the Franco-Africa summit which is set to be held in the Cannes. | ||||||||
Blame Mugabe for crisis and not the West, says Tekere
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