The wit and wisdom of Robert Mugabe
Former President Robert Mugabe has never been afraid to speak his mind on a range of topics — from former British prime minister Tony Blair to Nelson Mandela, and from his own longevity to his hatred of homosexuals. Here is a selection of some of his many sound bites:
“Only God, who appointed me, will remove me — not the MDC [Movement for Democratic Change], not the British. Only God will remove me!” — At an election rally, June 20 2008
“We will never allow an event like an election to reverse our independence, our sovereignty.” — At the same election rally
“I am still the Hitler of the time. This Hitler has only one objective: justice for his people, sovereignty for his people, recognition of the independence of his people and their rights over their resources. If that is Hitler, then let me be Hitler tenfold. Ten times, that is what we stand for.” — At the funeral of a Cabinet minister in 2003
“We equally reject attempts to prescribe ‘new rights’ that are contrary to our values, norms, traditions and beliefs. We are not gays!” — At the United Nations general assembly in 2015
“Mandela has gone a bit too far in doing good to the nonblack communities, really in some cases at the expense of blacks.” — In an interview with Dali Tambo for his television series People of the South in 2013
“I have died many times. I have actually beaten Jesus Christ because he only died once.” — In an interview with Zimbabwe state radio on his 88th birthday in 2012, responding to rumours of his death
“There are things one must do for oneself. Don’t drink at all, don’t smoke, you must exercise and eat vegetables and fruit.” — During the same interview
“At this age, I can still go some distance, can’t I?” — During the same interview
“And may I say to the United States president, Mr Trump: please blow your trumpet — blow your trumpet in a musical way towards the values of unity, peace, co-operation, togetherness, dialogue, which we have always stood for and which are well writ in our very sacred document, the Charter of the United Nations.” — At the United Nations general assembly in 2017
“Now, you still get some people saying because we are white and you’re black, we can’t give you the honour of equality in the [UN] Security Council. Nonsense! That should stop. Mr Ban Ki-Moon, just tell them for the last time, just as a message that you have heard, for the last time from here, that there should be real equality in the Security Council.” — To Ban Ki-Moon at the 26th African Union Summit in 2016
“Actually, the headquarters of the United Nations is misplaced. Where do you have most of the people? You have 1.2-million people … in India, 1.3 [-million] in China and Africa, we get to nearly a billion also. Now put us together, just these three, and then put those with the white faces and pink noses, put them together against us. How many are they even, man to a man? And do we allow that that group should continue to, you know, to harass us even in our independent countries?” — At the African Union Summit in 2016
“And with that I say to you, journalists, thank you for paying so much attention — those of you who write for those papers we read — for paying so much attention to us and to President Mugabe and for the publicity you have given me, as you focused, those of you who focused on me as a real dictator.” — At a press conference during a state visit to South Africa in 2015
“Blair, Blair, who was he? Just the prime minister of Britain. I’m president of Zimbabwe.” — At a press conference during his state visit to South Africa in 2015
“We want peace, and peace does not mean you must have a lion’s share and others have a baboon’s share.” — On race relations in South Africa at a press conference during his state visit in 2015.