Mugabe: We shall overcome
2003-12-03 10:41
Harare, Zimbabwe - President Robert Mugabe pledged Tuesday to crackdown on high-level corruption that has plagued Zimbabwe's crumbling economy, but did not specify how he would do this.
"Corruption and dishonesty will not be tolerated," Mugabe said in his annual state of the nation address to Parliament.
Police "will enforce the law without fear or favour, without regard for persons of stature," he said.
Ruling party leaders are believed to have secured for themselves many of the five thousand white-owned farms confiscated by the government for redistribution to impoverished blacks.
Some have even taken several farms, despite Mugabe's stated policy of "one man one farm." So far, police have not acted against them.
Zimbabwe faces its worst economic and political crisis since independence from Britain in 1980.
The land-seizure program has crippled the agriculture-based economy, and political violence and intimidation are widespread.
Challenges
Mugabe described these as "challenges that can be overcome".
"We need to work for genuine unity, so our family house is not divided," he said.
He promised to crack down on black-market deals he said were aggravating acute shortages of hard currency by keeping money offshore.
He also promised to fight record inflation - officially running at 526% - with what he called "rational management" of prices of basic goods.
Fixed prices for corn meal and other commodities have so far only worsened shortages and spurred black market trading.
Mugabe claimed the government was improving the country's ailing transportation, energy and telecommunications sectors. But he made no mention of crippling strikes by doctors, nurses, postal workers and telephone technicians.
Efforts to overcome a severe housing backlog were also a priority, he said. But many building projects have come to a standstill in recent months because of shortages of cash and materials.
- AP