Mugabe says military refused UK coup bait
- From: Begreen <JenniferCheng99@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2007 07:17:00 -0000
Mugabe says military refused UK coup bait
http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL18181513.html
Wed 18 Jul 2007, 11:18 GMT
[-] Text [+] By MacDonald Dzirutwe
HARARE (Reuters) - President Robert Mugabe said on Wednesday that
Zimbabwe's military had rejected British encouragement to stage a coup
and warned his government would press ahead with a price blitz that
has left shop shelves empty.
Mugabe, in power since independence from Britain in 1980, also mocked
one of his critics, Roman Catholic Archbishop Pius Ncube, saying he
needed prayers after being sued for adultery on Monday.
The veteran Zimbabwean leader accused London of continuing to seek
ways to topple him, suggesting that Britain had tried to encourage a
coup in exchange for helping the country, which is mired in a deep
political and economic crisis.
"They (the military) have refused to be tempted to go against their
own people," Mugabe told thousands of people at the National Heroes
Acre shrine in Harare during the burial of a senior army officer.
"The British thought that because of the suffering here there would be
a coup. They were dangling the coup as if it were a cake ... but they
(the military) were able to distinguish the enemy's bait from true
help," he said.
Mugabe, 83, who plans to stand for another five-year presidential term
next year, accuses the West of working with the opposition and
businesses to overthrow his government.
Critics say Mugabe has increasingly relied on the military and other
security agencies to hang on to power despite a severe economic crisis
that has seen inflation spiralling above 4,500 percent and
unemployment and poverty levels rising.
Last month the government imposed a blanket price freeze -- which
authorities intend to extend indefinitely -- after accusing businesses
of unfairly hiking prices as part of a wider plot by the West to
remove Mugabe from office.
"GNASHING OF TEETH"
On Wednesday Mugabe said the price crackdown would continue, warning
business that his government was ready for a long battle, which it
would win.
He said former U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe Christopher Dell, who last
month predicted Mugabe's government would collapse in six months, had
failed in his mission to implement regime change and had "run away" in
defeat.
"Those who are not bringing goods to the market thinking there will be
gnashing of teeth because there will be shortages, it's not our teeth
that will be gnashing, but theirs," Mugabe said in the local Shona
language to roars of applause.
He said his government would continue to work with industry but would
intervene to make prices affordable to the majority.
Consumers have cheered the price cuts, which have fed a shopping
frenzy, but basic goods like maize-meal, cooking oil and sugar have
disappeared from shops as manufacturers are unwilling to produce at a
loss.
Mugabe has said his government could seize businesses that stopped
producing.
Mugabe took a swipe at Archbishop Ncube, a leading government critic,
charging that he had broken his oath of celibacy after a man in
Bulawayo sued Ncube for having a relationship with his wife.
State media have published what they say are photos of Ncube naked and
in bed with a woman. Ncube is defending against the adultery
allegation in court.
"You are my Archbishop and you made a vow to God, please keep your
oath my friend. Taking other people's wives, could that be a good
thing?" a grinning Mugabe said, drawing laughter from the gathering.
"Should I now be the one saying let us pray for Pius Ncube? So that he
reforms and has good morals? When I go to church I suppose I will pray
for him so that God can help him to have good morals," he added.
.
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