Mugabe accuses Britain of using IMF for regime change

HARARE – Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe late Sunday accused Britain of using the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as a tool to overthrow his long-ruling government.

“The British want to use the fact of our owing the IMF, the British and the Americans, to bring about the change of regime here,” Mugabe said in an interview broadcast on state television. “(The IMF and Britain) is squeezing us economically so politically we would do what they would want us to do.No other country has been treated this way,” the long-time Zimbabwean leader said two days ahead of his 82nd birthday.”We saw through their machinations.We also realised they wanted to use our neighbours in this strategy and we resisted it,” said Mugabe, who has been in power since independence in 1980.Zimbabwe last week paid the IMF nine million dollars to clear long-standing arrears and thereby averting expulsion from the global lender.”We have now succeeded in clearing the debt we owed directly to the IMF,” Mugabe said during the interview.”That’s because we want to get rid of this problem with the IMF.The IMF has never worked in the interest of Zimbabwe here.It’s only in regard to Zimbabwe that the IMF became this political monster that we saw rearing its head in order to consume us here,” he said.Zimbabwe’s relations with Britain were strained over the past seven years after Mugabe launched controversial land reforms that saw government seizing properties from white commercial farmers, mostly of British descent.Mugabe has often accused British Prime Minister Tony Blair of harbouring plans to “recolonise” Zimbabwe by using the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party as a front.In the interview, the president also lamented laxity among his cabinet ministers and the growing problem of corruption.He criticised ministers for fertiliser shortages and for failing to resuscitate factories left idle when scores of white owners left the country at the height of political violence which rocked the country four years ago.-Nampa-AFP”(The IMF and Britain) is squeezing us economically so politically we would do what they would want us to do.No other country has been treated this way,” the long-time Zimbabwean leader said two days ahead of his 82nd birthday.”We saw through their machinations.We also realised they wanted to use our neighbours in this strategy and we resisted it,” said Mugabe, who has been in power since independence in 1980.Zimbabwe last week paid the IMF nine million dollars to clear long-standing arrears and thereby averting expulsion from the global lender.”We have now succeeded in clearing the debt we owed directly to the IMF,” Mugabe said during the interview.”That’s because we want to get rid of this problem with the IMF.The IMF has never worked in the interest of Zimbabwe here.It’s only in regard to Zimbabwe that the IMF became this political monster that we saw rearing its head in order to consume us here,” he said.Zimbabwe’s relations with Britain were strained over the past seven years after Mugabe launched controversial land reforms that saw government seizing properties from white commercial farmers, mostly of British descent.Mugabe has often accused British Prime Minister Tony Blair of harbouring plans to “recolonise” Zimbabwe by using the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party as a front.In the interview, the president also lamented laxity among his cabinet ministers and the growing problem of corruption.He criticised ministers for fertiliser shortages and for failing to resuscitate factories left idle when scores of white owners left the country at the height of political violence which rocked the country four years ago.-Nampa-AFP