Robert Mugabe turns 90
Africa's all this leader says he's not going anywhere
freedom fighter for many he's perceived as a dictator by Western countries
Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe this his inside story
hello and welcome to inside story I'm Sam is a damn
Africa's oldest head of state celebrates his 90th birthday on Friday
Robert Mugabe insists that despite his age he's not ready for retirement
Zimbabwe will be marking its president's birthday with a lavish 1,000,000 dolla
party
is expected to exceed last year's bill in the gobi was presented a cake
said to weigh eighty nine kilos when a country still trying to
get back on its financial fate how much uva celebrates removed is there
how to a Taser sends us this update from Harari President Robert Mugabe will
celebrate his birthday on Sunday at the time I don't get up on
kilometres from Academy alright according to media reports the pots
cost about one million US dollars
government officials say a place to me the mighty coming from the nation's
from private companies the readings on PF party
but critics say a lots time up that money is coming from state coffers
and not happy about that think that the big money struggling
they say that indices operating in different pop it
hefty and the thing that most people I topless when you talk to the habits
people
on the CD thing a body are struggling to make ends meet
parents are fighting with a hot by money send their children to school
it by adding hot too basically feeding badly that p.m. that day
back to consider the average the bobbing yet economy
with not doing very well they want to be able to put more tainted
on fact is it is making money on but they celebrate
Africa's most elderly statesman has been in power since nineteen
a team that's when Zimbabwe gained independence from the British
Mugabe became president after leading a bloody guerrilla war against the
colonial rulers have what
was then rhodesia and his zanu-pf party has been in power ever since
despite repeatedly being rocked by corruption scandals
but at age 90 Mugabe's aides insist he's fit
and healthy though he was on another medical trip to Singapore this week for
I surgery
and is widely rumored to have prostate cancer well he could go on this
president
even longer a new constitution passed before last year's disputed elections
allows Mugabe to run again in 2018 meeting he could rule
till the age of 99 a lot to talk about when it comes to my god help discuss the
issue
i'm joined here by our three guests from how far away we have
about goto NDC her I province spokesman
from London Nick man wanna the UK chairman
zanu-pf and from Oxford Chalfont versatile a journalist and former editor
of the Sunday Mirror
in Zimbabwe good to have you with us we could start with Nick how was in bob
wins marking the birthday then do you think I've Africa's oldest leader
we thank God I am a with a good celebration
abt which defeat a man that is taken as from mom
and the colonial bond h2 libertine MN that is empowered
our nation so %um will we are gonna celebrate we will be celebrating in the
UK
will be celebrating in Zimbabwe in Marondera so
I head somebody talking about them
1 million being spent on a bad day it's actually not robert was gonna
he's gonna eat all the food is it it's theirs but when you off
so is part of the 21st movements so we are we are we are very happy and
celebrating the presence best day
all right jeff amber what keeps Mugabe popular he's
clearly still Poppea with some sections of society is Nia is it his hero status
from the war of liberation
yes
arm I guess you could say that President Robert Mugabe
-ism one of the last of the big man
I'm those that derived from the African
national liberation struggle and I'm having
come through a bloody guerrilla war as you just intimated
I'm these credentials stand
him on solid ground as it where and I'm
also this narrative has
had every in today's Asian in the late 90's to
early 2000's when the fallout with them the former colonial power Britain
kicked in the narrative that was reignited
then was that a new imperialist forces
trying to subvert he knows about his sovereignty
and so even those that were born after independence they were mobilized into
this thinking that I'm
time was now to get there though loans and defend national sovereignty
and President Mugabe a stood up I'm
boa and reprised that role once more as a
the liberation champion and hand so
in that sense %um see the popularity
a of Robert Mugabe resonating
with those young people that are connected to them PF and and some within
the generality of his evolving nation all birds
how important is the war liberation how
much other focus is it for people for a younger generation who
are facing new challenges economic challenges
bill of liberation was obviously significant
in the sense that it's helped a so the bobbitt into independence from
many as a British colonial rule but that's eight
we now have been generous enough young zimbabweans more than stick it to five
percent of Zimbabweans are below the age of forty
and must have these youths do not have fest and information
on knowledge up there independence or or what some other people prepared to go
though of liberalism
and I can safely say that the majority took the people love
zimbabwe all I get what it indicated
at the youths and not very much in the morn to that
East Sea of this %uh go in the sense that
build idealize the man who
at the very advanced a diff ninety
Stu wants to cling on to power when it is paid
clear that is past its sell by dates
and that did you know the spektr nighttime you has the best option
did this the more you the police with tech yes missed a good to you continue
to get better I'll yes I think we'll get you got it wrong jury that
you got it wrong during the elections you'd didn't think that while it the
young people supported by Medina not to allow us to
in your program my last updated: step dad we review the majority of the %uh
people always at fault
sign up here I was blown into I wrong I'm not an old man myself
out in Zimbabwe hi I spend I spent a long time in Zimbabwe We Will Forte
committed by analog man let you have everything everywhere in our it
alright alright let's look at it tonight maybe the real really that the country
that's I'll take it to Nick
because she doesn't have a problem hi I on a second if you would mister budd
make the country does have a problem does know when it comes to unemployment
8 it's risen to anything from 10 to 60 percent depending on whose figures you
take whether the official ones or the UN figures
imports are rising faster than exports I
the overall GDP per person is drop since mugabe came to power those are real
issues are they not how do you respond to the accusation that
Mugabe's trying to do with people up with patriotism to distract them from
the real issues your response to that
that's that's not correct we
ever attribute aid and we ended going to that one is true peace
the problem in it with unemployment is coming from sanctions which have been up
the in impose on our country you be such incentives op-ed that it had we will
SOS New York New York how do you call it adds okay I don't know let me they don't
really understand it will come to you in a second
this accident could the shrinkage you know in a stream they've
undermined all on current strain it said that we are using foreign currency right
now
is is as a as as a means of red soul want the sanctions up
up I lived in an era of our country we are going to
it up grow as a country our GDP is gonna go back to it was supposed to be
that's not the primary issue here okay all right let's thanks God which oooo
bitterness got 20 total
let me bring Albert into this discussion ISA
element of truth in that Zimbabwe's me on the sanctions and
E there are those who say the West seems singularly
obsessed with Mugabe big bats because of his
past in resisting colonial rule there are a lot of countries in Africa
that have problems that have corruption that have a problematic human rights
records but
is there not an obsession with with Zimbabwean with Robert Mugabe in
pantyhose
accept them as such
and that does not session as such because the way I look at it
the biggest talents that we have in Zimbabwe
since 1980 has been and peace attended corruption
in this country when you look at it when we come
up got independence in April 1980 Zimbabwe's arguably
this second largest economy in South Africa
in the southern region zimbabwe let the bed basket
Africa so to speak Zimbabwe was exporting to the world
we went and met food exporter
and thanks to mister Mugabe and send appear
we are now a basket case and that will be held attractions such as 2 percent
of the people that's not because the sanctions but not sanctions
is upset because of misread because of because of corruption
sanctions they have 10 I'd say no doubt that there is no doubt I already have no
doubt that this corruption in the country
mean alright let me let me bring let me bring gerchas somebody the discussion
yes yes yes I'm if I may come in with a perspective they
in response to first to make and then also to orbit
BAM I think I'm they is
a lot of disquiet a among Zimbabweans
about be consistent to a promotion of sanctions
as you know the explanation for everything that has gone wrong
in Zimbabwe bear in mind that I'm you started off with the
a a mention of the hard facts
you know concerning employment and economic performance
leading up to the time before the sanctions came into force
so already we had a trajectory unfolding
thats did not quiet I'm support as an appeal as a competent manager of the
national economy
though that issue of I'll let you know never ends 10 repackaged and then
secondly secondly just not right away from you
a little but not let let yeah I don't know what to tell you one thing I'm good
how the unpleasantness
I wanna talk about everything let's we couldn't remember let's
let's fast forward talking about this is you know the birthday of Africa's
all this leader let's look towards the future now Gabi has brought in some new
policies like
Zim acid its post to turn the country's economy around
is it working the laughing stock symbols
I'm it's not 10 is simply must look at it it's actually
I into lead let your fam behalf his two cents worth here that will come down
okay I think about hours hours I was a %uh interrupted
before I made the second part of my point that one
the sanctions excuses rather spacious find the is
you know to a level at which such as affected the economy
but also before such as came into force you must bear in mind the hard facts
which reflect an economic downturn
so the ease and inflammation they outside of the sanctions
to its okay can be made that the boy gonna try to open economy now 15 min
before you leave it that
yes yes that of course all but says they they they were there is no obsession
but by the international community on summer but quite clearly
that is the reason why is a mobile is so prominent in a in that on the
international agenda ahead of countries where
outright civil war he's it now has broken out
I'm that is the reason why you know britain in the EU in in the US
are more invested in Zimbabwe than they are in the DRC for instance where war
has always raced
okay okay all right point point taken your point is there's a bit of both
mismanagement and obsession I'm going to ask Nana turn the question back
now to mister over Tim Hardaway how let's look forward okay I know the
sanctions debate
verses economic mismanagement that can go on for a very long time but i wanna
look forward in this show
other new policies which zanu-pf have brought in
are they working Zim acid is supposed to be turning around the country's economy
says be leveraging resources to attract foreign capital
the ice not to work and if I could say since the stolen election have delighted
to 120 fate in
there's actually been an unprecedented the
liquidity clans and for the past
serve six or seven months is destroyed an election
of July that the defense last year there's been so much suffering
to the extent that on the averaged 30 companies at closing
every week and slide and as i'm talking
this Seattle on since the beginning of 2014
seven and Indian 23 companies have been
closed countrywide okay mango company that negative liquid day although
I'm looking at each that's here from the World Bank says growth is expected to
rise
24.2 percent that's what according to the World Bank I'm not taking the
officials
statistical over six percent there there are positive stats
inflation is down to around 2 percent from
231 million percent 2000 night because we are now using the multi-currency
yes I could answer that inflation is actually
very low because as you know since February
2009 we have not been using busy but dollar
we are using predominantly the United says dollar
and in some cases like there with them at the Canton blow I'll
and the with and provinces the can see the you the South African rands
and in some other cases they use the British Pound Sterling
ended the euro but that is the main reason really
way we'd we have this very low rate of inflation
but when you talk at director production when you walk into a supermarket
in Zimbabwe in Harare in we ruin blow I'll
in the villages United that not less than 90 percent of
all the goods that you'll find in our shops
supermarket shelves actually imported goods
write me about to come bit sweaty as supermarket for such after all right
going good wat kind to those ones the bread basket
up decide okay let's bring Nick into that discussion production is falling
business is a closing down doesn't sound
like the government policies working if you listen to mister but
the the government policy is working zi ma cities a.m.
is an agenda which s to run from October 2010 Peyton
2 2010 18 they're quick gains
in CMOS it past up to I mean we will be realized
up to 15 to 18 months these are best baits
you cannot stop every pollution because people yes be the best but because I
don't know what we have and probably just might be a problem
are you looking are you looking are you looking its I well we'll hear the UK
we we its fear is doubled to deep recession from 2007
you in all we only solid growth in 2012
so it took that role to have described in 10 what was the difference between
uplink is different are having a great deal of Highland is not a good look
Nick let's not make this point tonight lebanese a bit I love to hang on to it
let me put this question to you next summer
ask with with the challenge is clearly Zimbabwe's a country with challenges I'm
sure you'd agree on
on that point at least is Robert Mugabe the person who can lead zimbabwe through
such a very
difficult minefield of challenges at the age of 90
that's correct these do the best person to lead the public through these
challenges
he is very cognitively intact he's still got is due a visionary
and i think is the right right person to do that yet
all right let me bring the to fund the back into the discussion
love it seems the policy's going forward rely on the ability to bring in foreign
investment is it coming in
about no foreign investment is a is a a hard nut to crack at this moment
I'm even planets Minnesota Montana my sis trip to
Washington a did not a
bring back any positive fruits and his
next trip to China also came up with the
promises but very little substance and in the final analysis
the challengers in asset as an economic strategy is
not its content because many including critics have hailed it as
a sound document or sound proposals but the challenges how do you find it
in there is no a discernible a source
of the kind of money after twenty seven billion dollars
in a required to drive this and may I just say one thing about
on the topic that over the question that he just threw about where the president
will gather is the right person to drive
as a public forward I think I would agree with Nick
in so far as he I'm he he he recognizes
President Robert Mugabe's visionary intellectually astute
but in terms of I'm the structure of government way there is a lot of
centralization
and President Mugabe pettis a lot of executive authority
when whenever he's away for instance in Singapore
cabinet does not meet you know is that he did not let me that
so I miss you in terms of the executive authority of David you
into the executive authority over driving government the I think
the docs in right need in a and alright enough energy
I could say about wanted to add something they go ahead
yeah I was saying when you look at it the way this kind has been
I'm quite honestly you cannot in science
the fortunes of it can't see in the hands of a 90-year-old man
with due respect to be the first unto except that his intellectual suks but
look
the man is way past its sell by date we watched last night on local television
but television when he was a a city talking about his bed
on the eve of his nineteen method and into all that total sign that the men
who is leading the bezel felt
when there what the hell lol clean water a day
in by an alabaster you are good you could well lead by
with this I magnin tales of his number is not in the best sale he's the guy
that's all you know
you know you are not their part P let Nick had to go here
the record for the company's this guy was but I didn't overwhelmingly
end of story and also he was wanted in overwhelmingly
you want to get in but the rest of us what if I am but it
all right now let us he may have been may be voted in
there were disputes about the elections of course but can I put this point to a
question here
shop there are together allegations the government is failing to tackle
corruption for example which doesn't help the investment climate just a
gimmick
upgrades 2009 let me give you this example in 2009 for example Human Rights
Watch spoke about corruption at the diamond mining company
mango resources in 2014
the relatively pros and a PF newspaper The Herald
alleged corruption at the same for missus five years later is the
government doing well
okay the government is be more than enough
house I'll give you examples um all the budget talking about all the corruption
that's been cited
is because the government is claiming it sows the government is disclosing these
it's not like there's a
I'm some was abroad somewhere we squeeze you know
I'll unveiling all these we are saying is the government this is what has been
happening the parastatals
which where most of them another album the MDC during the yen you
before then they they do was not on a stock up also does not really
nothing happening in India in the past titles but between 2009
in 2010 stated the MDC
set on most of these are good and loyal was up to the minute they title
parastatals
he didn't do nothing now that were disclosed that this has been happening
you turn around is that you are wrong you did this to do that you want just
about do one of two underground
what I went abroad without disclosing website unique we have 10 golden
retriever best erect
result better results its however what what what I thought that only the best
management
we are changing they all corporate governance stock told the country
all that talk a lot lately make that's how can it let's not tell but it's not
like to come back to
up a go-ahead yep Nick Canada scored on my brother
we have good no less than seven to eight parastatals
in Zimbabwe 8728 Minister Toews
all love them paired with zanu-pf cronies
loosened every one of those seven to eight aristotle's
has been mismanaged what talking with their of
then as mud where National Railways enters its were talking loves their side
is that they're
power utility we're talking love birds the poor that the public bus company
we have to love that busy the what is supposed to the public but custer
we are talking I 178 countries I this way the company's largest to understand
that dip thousand US dollars per month
in the instanceof past month which is actually that did not appear cronies
what are you doing ok we have ever come across anyone
they were carrying that live in they don't know is how we know each other
okay yeah let me ask you this but in fact all that but ok let me ask you this
question
all love the fans all locations which are made to the government know but
could not the same accusations and criticisms
be made if the opposition mortgage anger eyes been accused of being
power obsessed by members of the party mortgage and a rise party's fractured
and when he was in the prime minister in 2012
the same newspaper the hell was running articles about corruption in his press
office
these actually nothing like that Morgan Tanqueray remains
the face of the demo trouble in Zimbabwe
and the reason why the the frenzy in design a bf controlled media but Morgan
sang like is because they realize that
he is a tough nut to crack and they realize that
with Morgan Tsvangirai outs of the way then they are going to have their cake
and eat it
that's why they've done have had been taken fighting include
over we just got a laugh a minute left I wanna bring
I wanna breach of amber into the discussion if i may to family looking at
the political map
it doesn't look good does it the the party
of Morgan Chiang Rai has fractures the party
zanu-pf has fractures what's on a future do you see awaits
Zimbabwe
well um it is a a very it's an uncertain future
in the sense that I'm both parties facing
a successes and challenges but I would say that
the opposition right now is in no way associated reysen than zanu-pf
because the man in central control or Sun a PF
is still firmly in charge Robert Mugabe is in charge of zanu-pf
and I'm he's in a position to dictate
you know the course in nature of the transition in zanu-pf
Morgan single-a cannot he is fighting for his political life
right now the MDC cannot intervene on the national agenda because
it is turning inward and has to resolve its own internal contradictions
now zanu-pf has contradictions underneath
a very you know a centralized command structure with Robert Mugabe on top
what the worst that could happen is up being ninety how far can he go
and both things have bright a resolved i to provide certainty that is the
question
all right we're gonna have to leave it there has been a brilliant discussion
let's thank all of our guests are but go to from the MTCN Harari
from London Nick mcguire from the zanu-pf party and journalist Japan
besito late thank you all
for joining us thank you and thank you for joining us here on this edition of
inside story as always if you wanna send us your feedback
just email us your thoughts at inside story at Al Jazeera
dotnet for now let's go by