New Zimbabwe.com
30 December 2009
2009 was an historic year for Zimbabwe with the formation of a power sharing government – ending almost three decades of President Robert Mugabe’s uninterrupted rule. Predictably, politicians had a lot to say. Here is a selection of some of the year’s Quotable Quotes:
“Citizens by colonisation; seizing land from the original people, indigenous people of the country … You approve of that?” – President Mugabe when challenged by CNN’s Christiane Amanpour to explain why Zimbabwe was “hounding” white farmer “citizens” from their land
“It is better to own 10% of an elephant than 100% of a rat.†– Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara explaining the importance of government divesting from parastatals to allow private partnerships in order to save them from collapse.
“I am not going to quit because I knew that I was going to swim in sewage.†– Finance Minister Tendai Biti vows to stay the course in the power sharing government
“When you recover your stolen property you do not necessarily have to compensate the thief.†– Zanu-PF Chivi Central legislator and Co-chairman of the Constitutional Select Committee responding to questions by the BBC 5 Live’s Victoria Derbyshire on why the Zimbabwe government is not paying compensation for farms acquired under its land reforms.
“Obama is not in any way historically different from the many African chiefs and kings who facilitated slavery as agents of imperialism. Yes they had African blood, but they were also sell-outs.†– Tsholotsho North MP Jonathan Moyo (Zanu PF) attacks Obama for his criticism of the Zimbabwe government
“When people are determined to commit suicide, no matter how much you try to help them they will always try to find a way of killing themselves.†-MDC-T spokesman and ICT minister Nelson Chamisa on Zanu PF’s congress resolution not to negotiate with the MDC on the appointment of Attorney-General Johannes Tomana and central bank governor Gideon Gono
“I pity those who accuse me of opportunism for they do not understand that anyone who cannot take opportunities that come their way is a dodo. Ask any economist and they will tell you that the real cost that matters the most is the opportunity cost.
“Lose an opportunity and you have lost everything. That is why there is nothing as expensive as a foregone opportunity. So I do not believe for a moment that opportunism is a sin, crime or moral weakness. In fact, opportunism is the essence of politics; if you do not know that, read Machiavelli’s the Prince and the Discourses.†– Jonathan Moyo parries accusations of “opportunism†after rejoining Zanu PF.
“When people are determined to commit suicide, no matter how much you try to help them they will always try to find a way of killing themselves.†-MDC-T spokesman and ICT minister Nelson Chamisa on Zanu PF’s congress resolution not to negotiate with the MDC on the appointment of Attorney-General Johannes Tomana and central bank governor Gideon Gono
“I pity those who accuse me of opportunism for they do not understand that anyone who cannot take opportunities that come their way is a dodo. Ask any economist and they will tell you that the real cost that matters the most is the opportunity cost.
“Lose an opportunity and you have lost everything. That is why there is nothing as expensive as a foregone opportunity. So I do not believe for a moment that opportunism is a sin, crime or moral weakness. In fact, opportunism is the essence of politics; if you do not know that, read Machiavelli’s the Prince and the Discourses.†– Jonathan Moyo parries accusations of “opportunism†after rejoining Zanu PF.
“Those who describe me as a political prostitute simply because I have refused to join the MDC-T or to be part of it in anyway or simply because I have rejoined Zanu PF which is the only party I have ever belonged to are deranged political pimps who are so depraved as to think or believe that anyone who rejects them is a political prostitute.†-Jonathan Moyo goes toe-to-toe with his critics.
“This business of blowing vuvuzelas of insanity should stop. But no matter how loud the noise becomes, a vuvuzela will never play the Mozart or Beethoven sound, and we will never dance to those decibels.†– Finance Minister Tendai Biti responding to accusations by Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono that he was blocking urgently needed loans from international financial institutions.
“I went to Oxford –– I taught at MIT, I’m a Rhodes Scholar. I think it’s fair to say that I know better than Obama what is good for Zimbabwe, that I know better than Hillary (Clinton) what is good for Zimbabwe. So it is very arrogant and patronising for Hillary or Obama to prescribe what is best for Zimbabwe without talking to me first.†– Mutambara attacking the United States for alleged interference in the country’s political affairs.
“Taka kiya-kiya (we have used hook and crook).†– Biti’s reply to reporters when asked how the government got money to pay civil servants.
“Mugabe is not the only person who’s head of state who is that old. The Queen of England is much older than our President and nobody had ever referred to her as an old lady. You all respect her very much. You people are racists aren’t you?†– Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Didymus Mutasa responding to a question on President Mugabe’s plans to step down in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
“There was discipline in parliament. Last year, MPs were still raw, they are polished now, they are dignified and they can be called honourable. Last year they were dishonourable.†– President Mugabe commending MDC-T parliamentarians for not heckling him during his speech in the House of Assembly like they did last year.
“When these capitalist gods of carbon burp and belch their dangerous emissions, it is we, the lesser mortals of the developing sphere who gasp, starve, sink and eventually die.†– President Mugabe at the UN climate change summit in Copenhagen.
“Late believers and late comers cannot be dictators at this conference, besides they happen to be among the guiltiest on this matter.†– President Mugabe calls for the fulfilment of the Kyoto Protocol commitments
“It has not been easy for me. I was asking for oranges to make orange juice but some people were giving me lemons.†– Jubilant Premier League winning Gunners coach, Moses Chunga, on why it took him almost a decade to win the league championship.
“Now, make no mistake: History is on the side of these brave Africans, not with those who use coups or change constitutions to stay in power. Africa doesn’t need strongmen, it needs strong institutions.†-Obama addressing the Ghanaian parliament during his first presidential visit to Africa.
“The principle issue is you cannot disagree with Tsvangirai and his party. All of us exist to serve them, if you don’t serve them … if you jump at the top of the highest mountain and say Tsvangirai is God, you will be worshipped by the media and civil society – that is the bottom line and indeed you should be worried if you are a true democrat.†-MDC-M secretary general Welshman Ncube gets impatient with criticism of his party.
“You have a bunch of people who have behaved for a long time like spoilt brats and think the whole world must stand and salute them every time they utter their nonsense. We will not worship them now, tomorrow or ever and they can go to hell a 1000 times.†– Ncube hits back at MDSC-T statement claiming that his party and Zanu PF were deliberately delaying talks to resolve outstanding issues in the unity government.
“It remains a reality that the vast majority of Zimbabweans do not have Ndebele as their mother tongue and will gravitate towards a Shona-speaking leader. That is a political reality that we simply cannot ignore.†– Education Minister David Coltart offers a possible reason why his MDC-M party picked Arthur Mutambara as its leader
“Mutambara’s tenure in the inclusive government has been a catalogue of outbursts that have raised questions about his political sanity.†-Jonathan Moyo criticises Mutambara for saying the March 29, 2008, general election and the June 27, 2008, Presidential run-off election were “fraudulent and nullitiesâ€.