Skip to main content

18 of Robert Mugabe's most famous quotes

Doha - During his 37-year rule of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe has built up an impressive amount of controversy, mostly by using colourful and often hateful language.
The 93-year-old leader - the world's oldest head of state - has been prone to rail against a wide range of topics; from homosexuality and Britain, to Barack Obama and Donald Trump.
Robert Mugabe



With many in Zimbabwe and the wider world now wondering whether Mugabe will remain in power after Wednesday's takeover by the army, Aljazeera lists his most famous quotes.
On imperialism
"Africa must revert to what it was before the imperialists divided it. These are artificial divisions which we, in our pan-African concept, will seek to remove." - Speech at Salisbury, 1962
"Stay with us, please remain in this country and constitute a nation based on national unity." - A plea to the white population of Zimbabwe at a Zanu-PF rally, 1980
"Only God, who appointed me, will remove me - not the MDC, not the British. Only God will remove me!" - Election rally, 2008. MDC is an opposition party.
"Our party must continue to strike fear in the heart of the white man, our real enemy." - Zanu-PF rally, 2002
Robert Mugabe

On homosexuality
"We ask, was he born out of homosexuality? We need continuity in our race, and that comes from the woman, and no to homosexuality. John and John, no; Maria and Maria, no. They are worse than dogs and pigs. I keep pigs and the male pig knows the female one." - ZDC radio interview, 2015
"We equally reject attempts to prescribe 'new rights' that are contrary to our values, norms, traditions, and beliefs. We are not gays!" - UNGA, 2015 

On Britain
"Britain is a very cold, uninhabitable country with small houses." - Mutare rally, 2013 
"We are still exchanging blows with the British government. They are using gay gangsters. Each time I pass through London, the gangster regime of Blair 'expresses its dismay'." - Reference to an incident in which human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell attempted a citizens' arrest on Mugabe during a visit to London in October, 1999
"We have fought for our land, we have fought for our sovereignty, small as we are we have won our independence and we are prepared to shed our blood ... So, Blair keep your England, and let me keep my Zimbabwe." - Earth Summit, South Africa, 2002

On Hitler
"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." - State funeral of a Cabinet minister, 2003

On the economy
"Our economy is a hundred times better, than the average African economy. Outside South Africa, what country is [as good as] Zimbabwe? … What is lacking now are goods on the shelves - that is all." - Interview, 2007
Robert Mugabe

On Jesus Christ
"I have died many times - that's where I have beaten Christ. Christ died once and resurrected once." - To state radio on 88th birthday

On cricket
"Cricket civilises people and creates good gentlemen. I want everyone to play cricket in Zimbabwe; I want ours to be a nation of gentlemen." - This is a widely reported quote, but it was unclear when Mugabe said this

On US presidents
"Let Mr. Bush read history correctly. Let him realise that both personally and in his representative capacity as the current president of the United States, he stands for this 'civilisation', which occupied, which colonised, which incarcerated, which killed. He has much to atone for and very little to lecture us on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. His hands drip with innocent blood of many nationalities." - UNGA, 2007
"I've just concluded - since President Obama endorses same-sex marriage, advocates homosexual people, and enjoys an attractive countenance - thus if it becomes necessary, I shall travel to Washington, DC, get down on my knee, and ask his hand." - ZDC radio interview, 2015
"Some of us were embarrassed, if not frightened, by what appeared to be the return of the biblical giant gold Goliath. Are we having a return of Goliath to our midst, who threatens the extinction of other countries?" - UNGA, 2017
"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, cooperation, togetherness, dialogue, which we have always stood for." - UNGA, 2017

On grooming a successor
"Grooming a successor, is it an inheritance? In a democratic party, you don't want leaders appointed that way. They have to be appointed properly by the people." - TV interview, 2016



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Top 6 Lies Men Tell Just To Get Into Your Pants

If a man really wants a woman he perceives he can’t get the easy way, he usually cooks up different stories he can tell her to win her heart (more like deceive her into giving in to his desires), and that is why women must be more careful in dealing with men. When a guy comes your way, be sure to access him properly, lest you fall for one of the following lies…the top 6 lies men tell just to get into your pants. Read, and thank me later… 1. I’M SINGLE…AND READY TO MINGLE When a man desperately wants to get in bed with you, he’s going to do everything he can to achieve that purpose, and that includes lying about his relationship status. If he tells you he has a girlfriend, chances are you’ll run in the other direction. One of the common lies men tell is that they’re single when they’re actually in a relationship. Sometimes you have to take his word for it, but if you take the time to do some digging of your own, you might find out something that will kill-off any feeling you h...

THE 20 RICHEST WORLD LEADERS, RANKED

When you literally make the rules, how wealthy can you possibly get? Interestingly, the answer is not "infinitely" and is, in fact, relatively low compared to those that win by society's regulations. Going through the valuations of these 20  various world leaders  netted a few surprises, although as you'd expect, kings are still doing just fine. 20. David Cameron, $6.3 million Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The non-figurehead leader the U.K. actually has some figurehead in him. His fifth great-grandfather—apparently how you say great-great-great-great-great-grandfather was King William IV. 19. Barack Obama, $10.1 million President of the United States And he’s only the 21st richest American president of all time! 18. Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, $12.9 million President of Argentina Here she is with dirt-poor German Chancellor Angela Merkel. She got her money the old fashioned way, by marrying the preced...

There's a plot to kill Julius Malema, says EFF

Johannesburg - The EFF says its leader Julius Malema may be in danger and the party has increased its security to protect him.  The party said it has been alerted to plans under way to assassinate Malema which may involve hired assassinators with connections to drug dealers in various provinces. Acting EFF spokesperson Tebogo Mokwele said the party believes these threats are real and has insinuated that they may stem from the party’s political growth in the North West province.  “The covert plans come from reliable sources who indicate that a small group of politically insecure and insane individuals from the North West Province have approached drug dealers and assassins in different provinces, particularly in the Western Cape to assassinate EFF president,” said Mokwele. “The threats from this group of politically insecure and insane individuals are informed by the fact that the EFF is on the verge of politically defeating the ANC in the North West Province, ...