By: Marcus Mushonga
2015-03-01 15:44
Victoria Falls - Zimbabwean president, Robert Mugabe wants all countries in the Southern African Development
Community (SADC) region and the entire African Union (AU)
member states reclaim land from white people as well as
nationalising all natural resources.
Speaking at his 91st birthday celebrations in Victoria Falls on
Saturday, Mugabe, said time has come for Africa to be
economically independent by owing its natural resources.
He said African resources were being plundered by former
colonial masters, especially the Western "imperialists" at the
expense of indigenous African citizens.
Mugabe said indigenous African people were being reduced
to be mere job seekers while white people, who colonised
Africa continued to enjoy Africa's abundance mineral
resources.
Mugabe is the current chairman for both SADC and AU.

"Indeed, political independence without economic
empowerment is hollow! It is imperative therefore that the
dream of Africa's founding fathers of achieving economic
independence be realised," Mugabe said.
Mugabe, a veteran freedom fighter-cum-dictator insisted
that the entire African continent should not kept at bay on
their natural resources arguing that the time had come to
correct the colonial history of dispossession.
"I'm proud to say that our country (Zimbabwe) is an
example of efforts to see this vision being fulfilled," Mugabe
said.
He boasted that his country was done and dusted with the
land reform , which he said had benefited his people.
But analysts argue that Zimbabwe's chaotic land reform
caused the southern African nation's economic meltdown
while on the other hand Mugabe insists the West backed by
superpowers sabotaged his country's economy in order to
scare other African countries to emulate Zimbabwe.
"Well, my appeal to other African countries, please, embark
on your own economic programs, otherwise Mugabe's
approach is destructive.
"Mugabe destroyed everything that Zimbabwe stood for,
right from being the breadbasket for Africa, the jewel of
Africa in tourism to a poor state being controlled by a few,"
the European ambassador told CAJ News in Victorial Falls.
Mugabe, who ruled Zimbabwe for 35 years is being accused
of dictatorship, corruption and slefishness.
To date, Zimbabwe's industries closed leaving only 15 per
cent of the population employed, while the majority live in
abject poverty due to Mugabe's controversial land reforms.