Mugabe: 'Devil is the devil'

2004-02-24 08:05

Harare - Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe said he was not prepared to hold talks with the main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai because his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party is a front of the Western powers.

"As long as they are dictated upon from abroad we will find it extremely difficult to negotiate with them, but that having been said, we stand to hear what views they have," Mugabe said in an interview with state television.

"We are prepared to discuss with them how their own ideas and our own ideas can merge ... (for the) benefit our society.

"But if they are going to now seek the hand of our enemy to destroy our economy, then we begin to wonder whether they are for the people or against the people," he said in a continuation of an interview first aired on the eve of his 80th birthday on Saturday.

Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF was reported last month by President Thabo Mbeki to be ready for talks with the opposition.

Allies

But in the taped interview, Mugabe said: "We can't discuss with allies of the Western countries that would want to destroy our economy...

"The devil is the devil ... we have no idea of supping with the devil," he said.

Referring to the MDC's lobbying for the renewal of EU sanctions against him and his close associates, Mugabe said the opposition was seeking to ruin the economy. If that is the policy of the MDC, he said, "it stands rejected".

Mugabe argued that what made any negotiations with the MDC even more difficult was that the party was not home-grown.

"We are not just saying we can't discuss with that party ... all we have said is that that umbilical cord must be severed ... and if they try to be part of us, try to think as Zimbabweans, as Africans, then naturally you have a clear view who will accord you that facility of negotiation," he said.

He also called some opposition party members, including Tvsangirai, shallow-minded.

"There are some good people in the MDC, some well-disposed persons, who look at things differently from how Tsvangirai looks at them.

"It's unfortunate that the depth of understanding and appreciation of some of the members of the MDC is very shallow," he said.

- AFP