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President Mugabe and First Lady Dr Grace Mugabe greet supporters at the burial of Gogo Maria Msika at the National Heroes’ Acre in Harare yesterday —Picture by John Manzongo

Tendai Mugabe, Harare Bureau
President Mugabe yesterday lashed out at economic saboteurs manipulating the currency to increase inflation and panic buying of basic products, saying they were bound to fail.

Addressing mourners at the burial of Gogo Maria Msika, widow to the late Vice President Joseph Msika, at the National Heroes’ Acre, President Mugabe said some of the saboteurs were part of his inner circle.

“There are those who are eager to manipulate the currency,” he said. “There are some among us who are manipulating the currency so that they can trigger inflation, to cause panic buying.

“These unscrupulous people are among us. Some of them are like those mentioned by Jesus at his last supper that some of his disciples would turn against him. There are Judas Iscariots among us. Let us expose them.”

President Mugabe made similar remarks on Monday upon his return from the 72nd United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he promised to urgently deal with the issue of artificial shortages of products and rejection of plastic money by some shops and dealers.

He said some people were clandestinely working to overthrow him.

President Mugabe said he had a mandate to serve as Head of State and Government from the people and when the time comes for him to rest, the people would choose another leader of their choice.

“Some want regime change,” he said. “President to be removed from office. They don’t appreciate that I was elected by the people. The position belongs to the people, so I don’t want to let it go.  When the time comes I will say thank you the people of Zimbabwe for electing me, the time has come for you to now elect my successor, but for now I am still in office.”

“Let us be vigilant all the time to jealously guard against those who are after regime change. We want to promise Gogo Msika and her husband Joseph Msika that we are still in office.  We did not take it by force, but we were elected.

“Those who want to incite the people to rise against the Government will not succeed because we are watching them.”

President Mugabe stressed the importance of unity, saying the same unity of purpose that prevailed during the liberation struggle should continue today.

“We are one people — inseparable,” he said. “We are all bound together by the fact that we are all sons of the soil. Zimbabwean soil, that we belong to this geographical entity we call Zimbabwe.

“We are equal as citizens, we are equal, therefore, as the children of the country, an independent country, no longer Rhodesia. It is now Zimbabwe.”

President Mugabe said it was important to preserve the country’s culture and wealth for posterity.

He said no country had a right to interfere with another country’s affairs despite its military powers.

President Mugabe equated such actions to imperialism and colonialism.

“The country is ours,” he said. “We have resources, we have the land, our inheritance.  This applies to other people in other countries.

“Any foreigner who attempts to interfere in the affairs of other countries no matter how powerful they are, even if they are militarily strong, they have no right to do so. If they interfere, they are wrong. It’s imperialism, it’s colonialism. We will fight back.

“We want future generations to inherit  their countries and their resources. That is why  we fought and are still fighting imperialists. All those who are buried here [at the National Heroes’ Acre] fought for their country.”