Mugabe blames Brits again

, say observers.
In his latest tirade, at the burial of a liberation war hero in Harare last Thursday, the president accused Britain of plotting a coup in Zimbabwe.
“Britain predicted that because of problems facing the people there would be a coup,” he said. “But they (security forces) are able to distinguish the enemy, from assistance given you in order to go against yourselves, to go against their independence, to go against themselves, to go against their own people. This is what Britain had predicted.”
The 83’year’old president claimed his opponents, helped by whites, Britain and other Western interests including the media – “the same forces we fought against” in the 1970s’ liberation war ‘ wanted to destroy unity.
“We are going through times where the enemy is using clandestine methods to undermine our economy,” Mugabe told 3,000 people at Heroes’ Acre, a shrine to 56 heroes of the 16’year war against white rule.
He referred to the controversial endorsement of his regime by a southern African leaders’ summit in Dar es Salaam three months ago, at which Zimbabwe’s violent suppression of the democratic opposition was swept under the carpet, and its “just and equitable” land redistribution plans, were praised by presidents including Thabo Mbeki of South Africa. “There is now quite a greater part of the world which has understood the situation and strongly supports us,” said Mugabe.
The ruling Zanu (PF), which faces a fierce challenge from the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, intends to keep its populist policies of slashing prices at the top of the agenda for the next eight months, notwithstanding its devastating impact on industry and commerce. The acquisition of businesses refusing to comply with the order to slash prices, by fair means or foul, will be followed by takeovers of assets in cities, heartland of the opposition MDC.
President Mugabe now urgently needs the support of his army after foiled coup attempts, hence the burial of three generals in a row at the national shrine – a move widely seen as part of covert plans to mollify the restive armed forces.
By raiding foreign’owned companies and seizing control, Zanu (PF) believes it can carry through an indigenisation programme more ambitious even than that which followed the end of white rule in 1980.
Even if the grab of foreign companies and mines IS economically disastrous – which is likely, given that there are few funds for infrastructure or training and no international donors have said they intend to return to Zimbabwe ‘ President Mugabe believes the appeal to greed and envy of his “accelerated grab” will undermine the MDC.
There are also signs that the opposition parties are losing their nerve amid a government’orchestrated scare aimed at opposition activists, farmers, journalists and business people.
The opposition has already indicated it will go into next year’s poll divided. Despite faltering mediation by Mbeki, the opposition has abandoned confrontation despite Zanu (PF)’s staunch refusal to repeal electoral laws, which give it an unfair advantage.
John Makumbe, a political analyst critical of the government said Mugabe’s speech was empty. “It was a desperate plea for support from an old man,” he said.
Zimbabwe’s inflation stands at 4,500 percent, banks are stopping loans, there is a fuel crisis and food shortages are intensifying, but as President Mugabe says: “They are using the economy because the political methods have failed”
In a recent memorable address to his lieutenants, President Mugabe derided whites “who like to sip their tea under the jacarandas” and stated proudly “they forget the people of Zimbabwe can eat sadza if it helps them win the revolution”. But President Mugabe was only promising land ‘ not crops, said Makumbe.