Mugabe courtin' China

waltky · Aug 29, 2014

Zimbabwe's Mugabe smoozin' with China's Xi...

Mugabe in China love-in to build on trade cooperation
Fri, Aug 29, 2014 - It is a mutual admiration society to which the West is definitely not invited.

The leaders of China and Zimbabwe whispered sweet nothings about shared history, common foes and future cooperation during a ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing this week. Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近&#24179 praised Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe as a an old friend of the Chinese people whom we respect very much. Mugabe, for his part, said he felt very much at home. The political love-in came as Mugabe, 90, makes his 13th trip to China in what critics describe as a desperate attempt to attract investment to rescue a sinking economy. Chinas GDP of US$8.227 trillion in 2012 dwarfs Zimbabwes US$10.81 billion. For years Mugabe, accused by the West of electoral fraud and human rights violations, has been pushing a look East policy for business. Now, this appears to include persuading the population of Zimbabwe to become more familiar with Chinese culture.

An article last week by Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Lin Lin (林&#29747 in Zimbabwes state-owned Herald newspaper said that a recent Night of Beijing performance in the capital, Harare, had fascinated and left unforgettable memories in the hearts of an audience of [more than] 3,000. The Chinese embassy and the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corp cohosted the first-ever China-Zimbabwe quiz show to further increase the mutual knowledge and understanding between the two peoples, Lin Lin wrote. And now a professional crew from China Central Television is in Zimbabwe to shoot a tourism promotion documentary that aims to attract more Chinese peoples eyes to this wonderland.

On Monday, Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan (彭麗&#23195, greeted Mugabe and his wife, Grace, with full military honors. A band played the two national anthems as a 21-gun salute was fired and the two presidents inspected a military honor guard. Children held flowers and miniature flags of both countries to welcome the two leaders, who held a meeting behind closed doors that lasted for hours, the Herald reported. An unusually effusive Xi said: I stand ready to work with you, your excellency, to comprehensively deepen our bilateral relationship and make sure the relationship will create benefits for people in both countries.

Mugabe responded with thanks, saying: We are prepared on our part to continue our historical relations and even build on them as we develop our economies and Zimbabwe will, naturally, as before, being a smaller country, be the beneficiary of this relationship, and so I want to assure you of our reciprocal undertaking, that we will do our best to reciprocate your friendship. The two oversaw the signing of nine agreements, including documents on economic, trade and tourism cooperation, as well as emergency food donations and concessional loans from China to Zimbabwe. No values were given.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2014/08/29/2003598561
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waltky · Sep 29, 2015

Mugabe puts his foot in his mouth at the UN...

Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe gets the wrong kind of laughs for telling the U.N. 'we are not gays'
In his speech Monday before the United Nations General Assembly, longtime Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe noted that "respecting and upholding human rights is the obligation of all states," enshrined in the U.N. Charter. But, he added, that charter doesn't "arrogate the right to some to sit in judgment over others in carrying out this universal obligation."

If you're wondering where Mugabe was headed, he then criticized "the self-anointed prefects of our time," presumably in Europe and the U.S., for prescribing "'new rights' that are contrary to our values, norms, traditions, and beliefs." And in case that wasn't clear enough, he improvised, telling the assembled delegates and world leaders: "We are not gays."

"Mugabe's line earned him light applause and some laughter," notes BuzzFeed's Hayes Brown, who added that Mugabe "has frequently used anti-LGBT rhetoric, including last year when he referred to same-sex relationships as 'inhuman' and threatened to kick-out any diplomats who spoke of LGBT rights." You can watch the beginning of the laugher in the video below, but RT cuts out Mugabe's very next lines: "Cooperation and respect for each other will advance the cause of human rights worldwide. Confrontation, vilification, and double-standards will not."

http://theweek.com/speedreads/58013...ets-wrong-kind-laughs-telling-un-are-not-gays
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waltky · Oct 23, 2015

Gives ya some idea of what the Chinese call 'peace'...

Zimbabwean President, Condemned by West, Is Selected for Chinese Peace Prize
OCT. 22, 2015 President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe has crushed political opponents in his country, and democratic challengers and their supporters have faced intimidation, jail and worse. Mr. Mugabe, whose ZANU-PF party controls the levers of power, has presided over economic policies that have resulted in rampant inflation and poverty. Widely condemned by Western governments, he is considered one of the most uncompromising rulers in Africa.

Now he can claim the honor of being awarded a Confucius Peace Prize, the Chinese answer to the Nobel Peace Prize. A group based in Hong Kong that says it is the official organizer of the prize has selected Mr. Mugabe as this years recipient. Among the finalists for the award were Secretary General Ban Ki-moon of the United Nations, President Park Geun-Hye of South Korea and Bill Gates. The Confucius Peace Prize was first established in late 2010 as a rejoinder to the Nobel Peace Prize that was awarded that year to Liu Xiaobo, a dissident Chinese literary critic who is serving an 11-year prison sentence on a charge of subversion. His wife, Liu Xia, is under house arrest.

The Confucius Peace Prize ceremony is scheduled to be held in December. Organizers say the official Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing will be the venue if Mr. Mugabe, 91, agrees to attend. The prize comes with a financial reward of 500,000 renminbi, or nearly $80,000. The 21st-century interpretation of Confucianism is universal harmony in the world, Qiao Wei, a poet and the president of the judging committee of the peace prize, said in a telephone interview on Thursday. Mugabe is the founding leader of Zimbabwe and has been trying to stabilize the countrys political and economic order ever since the country was first founded. He brought benefit to the people of Zimbabwe.

Mr. Mugabe had his start in politics as a Pan-African nationalist who opposed minority white rule in the former British colony and country then known as Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. The Rhodesian government used brutal tactics to try to suppress nationalist movements, and Mr. Mugabe was imprisoned for more than 10 years, but the country finally achieved full independence from Britain in 1980. Mr. Mugabe became premier and quickly set up an authoritarian system, including managing security forces that on occasion acted as death squads. As the president of Zimbabwe or the chairman of the African Union, he has always been pushing forward the cause of peace in Africa, Mr. Qiao said. He has been working hard even in his 90s. This shows he has ideals in his heart. He has been trying to support the independence of Africa. He has his African Dream.

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waltky · Feb 28, 2016

Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe celebrates his 92nd birthday with a $1m televised party...

Let them (the Mugabes) eat cake! Zimbabwe tyrant and wife stuff their faces with a giant dessert weighing a kilo for every year he's been alive as poverty-stricken country marks his 92nd birthday with $1million party
27 February 2016 | Zimbabwean President celebrated his 92nd birthday with a lavish $1million party complete with a huge 92kg cake; Robert Mugabe hosted the event in the drought-stricken Masvingo province, drawing criticism from his opponents; Drought has left three million people in need and prompted the declaration of a state of disaster in most rural areas; 36-year rule is marked by vote-rigging, mass emigration, accusations of human rights abuses and economic decline

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has celebrated his 92nd birthday with a lavish $1million party complete with a 92kg cake as many of his people struggle with drought and widespread food shortages. The world's oldest leader hosted the extravagant televised celebrations in the drought-stricken Masvingo province on Saturday, drawing criticism from opponents who said the festivities were an affront to ordinary Zimbabweans. Thousands of party loyalists, foreign representatives and members of the public watched as Mugabe released 92 balloons in the air and they listened to poetry readings, songs and chants hailing him an African icon and a visionary.

Several cakes were on display, including one in the shape of Africa and a whopping 92kg replica of the party venue - the Great Zimbabwe ruins, a UNESCO world heritage site that was built in the 13th Century as the headquarters of the Munhumutapa empire. Many supporters wore outfits emblazoned with Mugabe's portrait and some read 'I love Bob', while others adorned the red, black, green and yellow colours of the ruling party. They feasted on beef and game meat at the ostentatious event. Balloons and cake, however, did little to hide the infighting that has defined the ruling ZANU-PF party in the last year as Mugabe continues to avoid naming a successor, despite his advanced age and recent speculation over his health.

Mugabe, who turned 92 on February 21, has ruled for 36 years during an era marked by vote-rigging, mass emigration, accusations of human rights abuses and economic decline. In a rambling hour-long speech, the president said no-one would starve as a result of a drought which has left three million people in need and prompted the declaration of a state of disaster in most rural areas. But in a characteristic gibe at Western countries, he said Zimbabwe would not accept aid if it came with conditions that the country should accept gay rights. 'If aid, as I understand, is to be given on the basis that we accept the principle of gay marriages, then let that aid stay were it is,' Mugabe said. 'We don't want it. It is rotten aid, filthy aid and we won't have anything to do with it.'

Zimbabwe has appealed for nearly $1.6billion to help pay for grain and other food, but no aid organisation is known to have attached such a condition to assistance. On his actual birthday, state media poured praise on Mugabe's leadership since independence from Britain. In its 16-page special supplement, the Sunday Mail said on its front cover: 'Thank You Bob, We now have a voice, since 1980'. Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa is viewed as the likely next president, but in recent weeks he has been publicly criticised by Mugabe's wife Grace in a sign of growing rivalry. 'Factionalism, factionalism and, I repeat, factionalism has no place at all in our party,' Mugabe told guests including senior party officials, government ministers, foreign diplomats and representatives of ruling parties from Angola, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia and Tanzania. 'It should never be allowed to exist... We should remain united and use proper channels to solve our differences.'

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Mugabe's 92nd birthday party criticised
Sat, 27 Feb 2016 - Zimbabwe's ruling party throws a lavish party for President Robert Mugabe's 92nd birthday in a drought-stricken area, drawing criticism from the opposition.

Zimbabwe's ruling party has been criticised for hosting lavish 92nd birthday celebrations for President Robert Mugabe while swathes of the population face food shortages. The event reportedly cost almost $800,000 (£575,000). The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) called the celebrations "obscene". Mr Mugabe has dominated Zimbabwe politics since independence from the UK in 1980. The event, which was televised and featured schoolchildren reading poetry about the president, was held in the drought-stricken south eastern city of Masvingo.

Birth of a Mugabe dynasty?

The elderly leader, accompanied by his wife Grace, released 92 balloons to kick off the event at the Great Zimbabwe monument, with tens of thousands of people attending. In a speech, Mr Mugabe attacked Western donors, and said he would not accept "rotten, filthy" aid if it was contingent on Zimbabwe accepting same-sex marriages, the government-owned newspaper the Herald reported. But the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said the celebrations were "ill-conceived". Money used for the event should be used to import maize "to avert the impending starvation" in Masvingo and other areas, said Obert Gutu, a MDC spokesman.

Eddie Cross, an MP for the MDC said: "The obscenity of this particular exercise is that he throws this bash not just based on public funds... but he does it in one of the worst-affected drought-stricken parts of the country." The UN's World Food Programme said food production had fallen by half compared to a year earlier, because of severe drought. The government said about three million people were food insecure and earlier this month it asked for nearly $1.6 billion in aid. Mr Gutu said the ruling Zanu-PF "should be utterly ashamed" for hosting the costly celebration while "more than 90 %of Zimbabweans are wallowing in grinding poverty".

However, a youth leader for the ruling Zanu-PF party defended the birthday celebrations. "Money is not the issue here," Pupurai Togarepi told the Reuters news agency. "You cannot put a price on the contribution of President Mugabe to the history and development of this nation. All these things are worth more than money." Zimbabwe has faced severe economic challenges in recent years, which critics blame on policies including the seizures and redistribution of white-owned farms in 2000. Hyper-inflation left its currency worthless and required the use of foreign currencies for most transactions. Mr Mugabe has blamed his country's economic troubles on Western meddling.

Who is Robert Mugabe?
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scarlet witch · Feb 28, 2016

tragic really, one man can cause so much pain and devastation. The Chinese of course love Africa's resources, $40 billion invested last I read but this vvvv is outrageous, a mockery

Zimbabwean President, Condemned by West, Is Selected for Chinese Peace Prize
OCT. 22, 2015 President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe has crushed political opponents in his country, and democratic challengers and their supporters have faced intimidation, jail and worse. Mr. Mugabe, whose ZANU-PF party controls the levers of power, has presided over economic policies that have resulted in rampant inflation and poverty. Widely condemned by Western governments, he is considered one of the most uncompromising rulers in Africa.
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waltky · Jul 22, 2016

Mugabe's days numbered?...

Zimbabwe leader's loyalists make surprise break with Mugabe
Jul 21,`16 -- Veterans of Zimbabwe's independence war made a significant break with President Robert Mugabe for the first time Thursday, calling him dictatorial, manipulative and egocentric.

The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association has been a pillar of support for the 92-year-old leader for decades, but it released a statement criticizing the man it had long been quick to defend. The veterans are known for unleashing violence on those opposing the government. The surprise revolt by Mugabe's aging corps of loyalists comes after nationwide anti-government protests organized via social media. Many in Zimbabwe are frustrated by a rapidly deteriorating economy, a currency crisis and alleged corruption. "We note, with concern, shock and dismay, the systematic entrenchment of dictatorial tendencies, personified by the president and his cohorts, which have slowly devoured the values of the liberation struggle," the statement said after dozens of veterans' representatives from around the country met Thursday, changing anti-government slogans.

The group said it would no longer support Mugabe's political campaigns, accusing him of abandoning the veterans for the youth league of the ruling party ZANU-PF. The veterans' group, whose members are in their 60s and older, blamed the southern African country's economic crisis on "bankrupt leadership," and it accused Mugabe of corruption: "This rot needs to be uprooted, and right now." There was no immediate comment from the government. Mugabe has repeatedly said he plans to run again in 2018 and rule until he dies. Thursday's announcement "delegitimizes Mugabe in a big way, not least because he is always quick to flaunt his war credentials and revels in his title as patron of the war veterans association," said political analyst Gabriel Shumba, chairman of the South Africa-based Zimbabwe Exiles Forum. "The youths may provide him with the muscle he needs right now, but they don't command any meaningful political stock."

Mugabe, who has been in power for 36 years, has recently turned toward the youth league for political support, including two rallies attended by tens of thousands of people. Earlier this week, the world's oldest head of state responded to the recent anti-government protests, telling critics to leave Zimbabwe if they are unhappy with conditions at home. The veterans' group indicated it has had enough of such talk from the president. "We are dismayed by the president's tendency to indulge, in his usual vitriol against perceived enemies, including peaceful protesters, as well as war veterans, when the economy is on its knees," their statement said. "He has a lot to answer for the serious plight of the national economy."

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waltky · Jul 27, 2016

Mugabe gettin' vindictive...

Zimbabwe's president Mugabe vows 'severe' punishment for loyalists who turned on him
July 27, 2016 - Zimbabwe's 92-year-old president on Wednesday said the longtime loyalists who turned against him last week should face "severe" punishment, and he vowed to stay in power for "a long time."

President Robert Mugabe made his first public response to a scathing statement by veterans of the country's 1970's liberation war. They called him dictatorial, manipulative and egocentric. The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association long had been quick to defend Mugabe, even with violence. Mugabe demanded new leadership for the association, claiming Western countries have infiltrated it. "We have ordered an investigation to identify authors of the statement. ... The punishment will be severe," he said to thousands of supporters at the ruling ZANU-PF party's headquarters in the capital, Harare.

Robert Mugabe speaking to supporters on July 19

Mugabe insisted he will not step down. "As long as the party still wants me to serve, if I still have the energy and still have the life, I will continue," he said. The surprise revolt by Mugabe's aging corps of loyalists comes after nationwide anti-government protests organized through social media. Many in Zimbabwe are frustrated by a rapidly deteriorating economy, a currency crisis and corruption. One protest organizer, pastor Evan Mawarire, is now staying in neighboring South Africa after Mugabe accused him of being sponsored by the West.

The veterans' criticism has unsettled Mugabe, said Eldred Masunungure of the University of Zimbabwe's political science department. "This is a result of his failure to hand over power. The succession war is driving towards a tipping point," Masunungure said. The veterans accuse Mugabe of dumping them for a more youthful group associated with his wife, Grace, whose political power has dramatically increased in the past two years.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/0...nishment-for-loyalists-who-turned-on-him.html
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waltky · Dec 1, 2017

China got it's foot in Africa's door...

What the Mugabe coup says about China’s plans for Africa
1 Dec 2017 - Beijing dismisses claims it was involved in regime change in Zimbabwe, but its footprint on the continent is clearly visible

For a man who relied heavily on Chinese weaponry to stay in power, a Chinese-manufactured Type 89 armoured vehicle rolling into central Harare on November 15 must have been an ugly shock. It had come to depose him, not serve him, and Robert Gabriel Mugabe knew his game was finally up. Even bedecked with grinning soldiers and citizenry, the armoured vehicle was as much a symbol of oppression as liberation. It also triggered debate about the role China would have in Zimbabwe’s future, as well as its wider role on the continent. Mugabe’s downfall is knitted firmly into the story of Beijing’s increasingly active engagement on the world stage, notably in countries where Western nations have fallen out of favour.

China is bankrolling an impressive array of projects across Africa, everything from car factories to bridges, and expanding its military footprint in step with numerous weapons deals and training exercises. In South Africa, Chinese car manufacturer BAIC is building a US$826 million vehicle assembly plant in the coastal city of Port Elizabeth, with an expected annual output of 55,000 cars. Chinese arms manufacturer Poly Technologies last year signed a partnership agreement with South African state arms manufacturer Denel to bid for a US$428 million naval vessel procurement deal. In East Africa, China is bankrolling a massive new infrastructure project that will connect South Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya through roadways, railways and oil pipelines. It has spent about US$9.9 billion on intra-city rail infrastructure in East Africa since 2000, CNN estimates.

Mugabe apin' fer the camera

In West Africa, China plans to invest US$40 billion in Nigeria, on the back of about US$46 billion already invested, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced this year. In June, South Africa’s Standard Bank announced “the world’s first dedicated” Africa China Banking Centre in Johannesburg. The bank, which 10 years ago sold a 20 per cent stake to the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, plans to extend credit lines into Kenya, Zambia, Nigeria and Ghana before the end of the year. In August, China officially opened its first overseas military base in Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa, to serve as a base for peacekeeping and anti-piracy missions.

Zimbabwe was also among the recipients of Chinese largesse. China last year agreed to build a new 650-seat parliament in the country. Beijing has strongly rejected conspiracy theories suggesting the coup plotters had obtained superpower blessing before the big day. “It is beyond obvious that the purpose of certain elements trying to link the Zimbabwe political crisis with China is to undermine China’s image and to drive a wedge between China and Africa,” fumed a statement from the Chinese embassy in South Africa a few days after Mugabe’s downfall. Reports that it played a role in the coup were “self-contradictory, full of logical fallacies and filled with evil intentions”, the statement read. But the narrative that meddling foreigners were at it again, pulling puppet strings and carving out yet another compliant regime to suit their neo-colonial agenda, is a strong one, mined with memories of a cold war arm-wrestle between superpowers south of the Sahara.

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Mugabe courtin' China

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