Radio Islam International | 19 November 2017

Zimbabwe’s ruling party, ZANU-PF, on Sunday voted to sack President Robert Mugabe as its leader marking the end of more than 4 decades at the helm of the country’s most powerful political entity.

Following the military takeover of the country on November 15, there is much speculation that it is just a matter of days of hours before Mugabe’s presidency of the country is also terminated.

Throughout his years in power, Mugabe – now the world’s oldest head of state, has been a larger than life figure, being called a fine orator, anti-imperialist, freedom-fighter, land-grabber and dictator all at the same time.

Mugabe has been outspoken on a number of local and global issues over the decades. Here are some pieces from his mind:

On man-made borders

“Africa must revert to what it was before the imperialists divided it. These are artificial divisions which we, in our pan-African concept, will seek to remove.” – Speech at Salisbury, 1962

On homosexuality

“We ask, was he born out of homosexuality? We need continuity in our race, and that comes from the woman, and no to homosexuality. John and John, no; Maria and Maria, no. They are worse than dogs and pigs. I keep pigs and the male pig knows the female one.” – ZDC radio interview, 2015

“We equally reject attempts to prescribe ‘new rights’ that are contrary to our values, norms, traditions, and beliefs. We are not gays!” – United Nations General Assembly, 2015 

“We have this American president, Obama, born of an African father, who is saying we will not give you aid if you don’t embrace homosexuality. We ask, was he born out of homosexuality? We need continuity in our race, and that comes from the woman, and no to homosexuality.” – Campaign rally, 2013

“Please young men and women, you do not have the freedom to marry other men, or marry other women – there is no such freedom” – 88^th Birthday celebrations, 2012

On global hegemons

“We are now being coerced to accept and believe that a new political-cum-religious doctrine has arisen, namely that there is but one political God, George W. Bush, and Tony Blair is his prophet.” – U.N. General Assembly, 2004

“If the choice were made, one for us to lose our sovereignty and become a member of the Commonwealth or remain with our sovereignty and lose the membership of the Commonwealth, I would say let the Commonwealth go.” – ZANU-PF annual conference, 2003
 

“We have fought for our land, we have fought for our sovereignty, small as we are we have won our independence and we are prepared to shed our blood …We have not asked for any inch of Europe, or any square inch of that territory. So, Blair keep your England, and let me keep my Zimbabwe.” – Earth Summit, South Africa, 2002

“Let Mr. Bush read history correctly. Let him realise that both personally and in his representative capacity as the current president of the United States, he stands for this ‘civilisation’, which occupied, which colonised, which incarcerated, which killed. He has much to atone for and very little to lecture us on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. His hands drip with [the] innocent blood of many nationalities.” – UNGA, 2007

“Regime change Mr Blair! Who are you? Who are you to talk of regime change in Zimbabwe? By what connection sir, do you hear me? Ancestral connection? And who were these ancestors, can we know? No, Zimbabwe is for the Zimbabweans, and only the Zimbabweans can determine who shall rule them and who shall not!” – Address to ZANU-PF, 2004