President dismisses Western profiling
PRESIDENT Mugabe has dismissed assertions that Zimbabwe is a fragile state, stressing that those who labelled it so were misguided and ill-informed about the state of development in the country.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum on Africa here yesterday, the President said Zimbabwe was one of the most developed countries in Africa and did not exhibit traits of a fragile state.
“Zimbabwe is one of the most highly developed countries in Africa and after South Africa I want to know which country has that level of development that we have in Zimbabwe.
See full speech on Page 6
“We have 14 universities, our literacy is over 90 percent and it’s the highest in Africa. Yes, we have our problems. Yes, certainly, but we have resources more than an average country in the world.”
He said Zimbabwe was endowed with natural resources such as gold and diamonds, while the country was expecting a bumper harvest this year for crops that include maize, cotton and tobacco.
“We are not a poor country and we can’t be fragile with these resources. If someone wants to call us fragile, they are free to do so. I can call America fragile.
“They went on their knees at one
time and they were assisted, some of their companies.”
A United States-based think tank Fund for Peace in collaboration with Foreign Policy Magazine ranked Zimbabwe as a fragile state.
The ranking, which has stirred controversy since it started in 2005, ostensibly assesses vulnerability to conflict or collapse.
Mr David Rothkopf — the publisher of the Peace Magazine — has also been questioned for his links with the US administration.
Rothkopf is the founder of Intellibridge Corporation, a provider of “open-intelligence” for the US “national security community”, among other clients.
Before founding the company, he was the managing director of Kissinger Associates, the international advisory firm founded by former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger.
South African president Jacob Zuma, who met President Mugabe later in the day for bi-lateral talks, said he agreed with President Mugabe’s take.
Briefing local journalists after the meeting with the President, the South African president said, “Well, I think the President answered that very well in the discussion because he indicated and said it is the view of others to call it fragile, but as far as he is concerned he described how Zimbabwe is, and I agree with the President.”
Immediate-past president of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Dr Donald Kaberuka also noted that there was a tendency of appropriating the term on African countries only, which is not correct. Experts, he argued, had to focus more on the concept of fragility and not fragile states as almost every country was arguably fragile to some extent. “The idea of fragile states is an old ◆
PRESIDENT Mugabe yesterday met his South African counterpart President Jacob Zuma for bilateral talks on the sidelines of the 27th edition of the World Economic Forum on Africa, which ends here today.
Speaking to journalists after paying a courtesy call on the President, the South African President — who was accompanied by his International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane – said the two leaders had a “very good”, “friendly” and “brotherly” discussion.
“We discussed the issue of the situation in the country, the success of the World Economic Forum now and also about the need for us to meet more often, particularly the former liberation movements, so it was very good, friendly and brotherly discussion, absolutely,” said President Zuma.
Former liberation movements in the region used to meet under the banner of the Former Liberation Movements of Southern Africa (FLMSA).
Zanu-PF, the African National Congress (South Africa), Chama Cha Mapinduzi (Tanzania), Frelimo (Mozambique), MPLA (Angola), Swapo (Namibia) are constituent members of the grouping.
Ex-liberation movements often meet to discuss the strategies of fostering economic independence in the region, including building a buffer against neo-colonial forces.
Commenting on his views about Zimbabwe’s profiling as a fragile State, President Zuma indicated that he agreed with President Mugabe’s stance that Zimbabwe was being mischaracterised.
“Well, I think the President answered that very well in the discussion because he indicated and said it is the view of others to call it fragile, but as far as he is concerned, he described how Zimbabwe is, and I agree with the President,” he said.