Thousands of nuns, priests and Kutama pupils, who endured the searing heat, were compelled to listen to him ramble on, as he attempted to justify his chaotic land “reform” programme.
The acetic clergy, who live by their vow of poverty, did not seem interested in a speech about worldly things. Mugabe’s PR team must have forgotten to invite the rented crowd. There were no cheers, no whistling. As the camera swept over the audience, the nuns and the padres could be seen sitting with glum facial expressions and the Kutama schoolboys with their foreheads leaned in towards one another, chatting.
Despite his Jesuit upbringing, Mugabe did not bring a speech of love, peace and colour-blindness. Instead he reiterated his ‘keep your England’ rant.
After his anti-Western diatribe, he went on to say ‘the land reform has helped to ameliorate unemployment among the youth.’ In which country? Certainly not in Zimbabwe where over 80-90% are jobless. Big words will not hide the truth. Ameliorate, indeed!
The inappropriateness of Mugabe’s speech was so obvious that even ZTV, his own mouthpiece, skipped the address during Monday’s lunchtime news bulletin.
Was Christianity not taught to Mugabe by ‘the colonisers?’ If Mugabe truly rejects Western ideology, he should throw away his Consecration Certificate and perhaps save the country millions in airfares to the Vatican. And if he would rather they kept their England, why then does he insist on Britain lifting his travel sanctions?
All logic points to one thing: Asian doctors may have found the solution to failing eyes and creaking bones. But once gone, even the combined intellect of the East cannot remedy an addled mind.
Post published in: Analysis