Politicians from Zimbabwe

"Today is not such a tremendous day for us Rhodesians. We made our decision to become a Republic quite a long while ago, and this is simply the process of formalising it. Our Independence Day is the great day. Rhodesia did not want to seize independence from Britain. It was forced upon us."

"Let me say it again. I don't believe in black majority rule ever in Rhodesia—not in a thousand years. I repeat that I believe in blacks and whites working together. If one day it is white and the next day it is black, I believe we have failed and it will be a disaster for Rhodesia."

"All the soul of man is resolution, which in valiant men falters never, until their last breath."

"I would be dishonest if I did not state quite clearly that the proposals which were put to us in Pretoria do not represent what in our view would be the best solution to Rhodesia's problems."

"I am satisfied it has strengthened my hand tremendously. Nobody but a fool would disregard the kind of result we witnessed today."

"Pushing people forward simply because of their colour, irrespective of merit, would be most unfortunate and would of course lead to disaster. It would mean that Rhodesia would then develop into a kind of banana republic where the country would in no time be bankrupt."

"To those who say derogatory things about colonialism, I would say colonialism is a wonderful thing. It spread civilisation to Africa. Before it they had no written language, no wheel as we know it, no schools, no hospitals, not even normal clothing."

"We had the highest standard of health and education and housing for our black people than any other country on the African continent. That was what Rhodesians did. I wonder if we shouldn't be given credit for doing that."

"[Robert Mugabe] was a very clever bloke and he worked with me for as long as he thought it was going to help him. Once again, it was just to keep himself in power. I give that answer to all questions about Mugabe because that is all there is to it. Everything he has ever done is about keeping himself in power: Dictators and fascists all over the world think like that."

"What we believed in was responsible majority rule as opposed to irresponsible majority rule, and I stand by that. I think it's important that before you give a person a [right to] vote you ensure that his roots go down [and] that he's part of the whole structure of the country. So I stand by what I've said, and I think we can substantiate the fact that the things we did were to the benefit of the black people of our country more so than anybody else. And I challenge anybody to disagree with that."

"To begin with, things [after Independence in 1980] went well because [Robert] Mugabe was no fool. He realised [that] it was important to maintain the economy and keep the country expanding. And in any case he was committed to do that by the Lancaster House Agreement which said that there could be no change in [the existing status] for at least seven years unless [he] could get 100% support [from] all the people. In no ways would he have been able to get the support of the white members of Parliament, and also the Matabeles. So we were satisfied that what we were doing was in keeping with the traditions and culture and what was expected of us, and Mugabe used to thank me for coming to see him, [giving] him the benefit of my advice and [telling] him what the white people were thinking. But he only did this for a while because he inherited the best economy in Africa. It was viable. And after two years he quickly changed his mind because he had a lot of money available. He had his [own] commanders in control because he had removed the white commanders who would have taken action against him if he had defied the Lancaster House Agreement before the seven-year [period]. He removed our commanders and put his commanders in so that he knew that he could defy this. And so he breached the Lancaster House Agreement."

"So [things have] gradually and gradually [gotten] worse and worse until the country is absolutely on the rocks now, and the people are suffering. And this is our hope, because so many people are suffering, have been persecuted and have been told "Get into line, or else", and they know what 'or else' means."

"Africa is a continent which is subject to a great deal of friction and argument and change; that's [true] of the world generally but more so Africa than anywhere else. So because of that we live in hope, we think that the people in the end will say "We've had enough"."

"In the interests of our people, and of other people in this part of the world, let's work together. Why do we have to exclude people because of their colour, whether they are white, brown, yellow or black? Let's accept that we are all a part of Africa, all part of the world. Let's all work together. And the more we can get people to accept that philosophy, the greater the hope for the whole world."

"Smith was misunderstood in a lot of ways. He is an African [and] understands the African mentality. It wasn't his problem what happened in Rhodesia. He came in [to power] in 1965 after Winston Field, so he was along the system that had been created. If you look at the development of Rhodesia, Smith contributed enormously [to] that. It didn't only benefit the whites, it benefited the blacks."

"Smith was being realistic-if you give people something before they are ready [for it] they are going to mess it up. And that has happened. If he had had the opportunity to work with the people [and] help bring them up, Zimbabwe would be a better place now. Smith did make it better during his government. There is no reason why he could not do that if he had been allowed to go on."

"If I absolutely had to choose, I would take Mugabe in preference to Smith, though. I couldn't stand Smith. I thought he was a man who saw every tree in the wood but couldn't see the wood... He was a really stupid man, Smith; a bigoted, stupid man."

"Ian Smith was a formidable opponent, but he lacked any vision. We offered him much better terms at the Fearless and Tiger talks than anything he is going to get now. He held out too long, for too much, and is going to end up with nothing."

"Life's greatest lessons have come to me so late … that a country can have political independence while its people are not free."

"If Smith was a black man, I would say that he was the best Prime Minister that Zimbabwe ever had."

"Smith had many fine qualities as a political leader. However, he was very much a creature of his background. His life revolved around the cricket team, the whites only school, the RAF, the country club and the company of other gentleman farmers. He never escaped from this or saw beyond it."

"Ian Smith lived an exemplary family life and in private was a down-to-earth, modest man. Ian Smith was not corrupt nor was he a megalomaniac. However whilst Ian Smith acted in what he thought were the best interests of then Rhodesia he made some disastrous political decisions as Prime Minister which directly contributed to the trauma that Zimbabwe is suffering from today... The policies of his Rhodesia Front party radicalized black nationalists and directly spawned the violent and fascist rule of Zanu PF."

"The roads that we are using today were all built by Smith. All the infrastructure is Smith’s. We never suffered the way we are suffering now because Smith took care of the economy that supported all people and they had enough to eat. When he left power the [British] pound was on a par with the Zimbabwean dollar, but President Mugabe has killed all that."

"You don’t give a man the status of a hero. All you can do is recognise it. It is his."

"They are immigrants to this country and if young blacks remain at the stage where they are today they will say "makabva kupi imi? Nyika ndeyedu." [Where did you come from? This country is ours.] But it must be "nyika ndeyedu tese, varungu nevanhu vatema." [The country is ours, both white and blacks]"

"From the day I was born, there has always existed a huge disconnect between the stories often told by the elite and those I hear from ordinary people about our country although we live in the places; and witness the same events around us."

"The editorial policies of the state newspapers and the state broadcaster has remained partisan and unreformed, and the media field remains dominated by the same partisan state players."

"There is a greater and thicker plot around this issue which has undermined my confidence in this relationship. The marriage has been hijacked and there is an apparent active political hand that is now driving the processes. State security agents have weighed in to force and direct proceedings, which has resulted in everything regarding this relationship now taking place on camera. The intention is clear: to inflict maximum damage on my person and character for political gain."

"Why would foreign sovereigns seek to relate to another sovereign state through NGOs (non-governmental organizations)?"

"Zimbabwe's debt overhang continues to weigh down heavily on our (country) development efforts. We have no access to new lines of credit, including from the multilateral banks, such as the World Bank Group.”"

"It will address membership, qualifications, expectations, training, and the professionalization of media practitioners as we progress toward becoming an upper-middle-income society."

"Jenfan Muswere responded, "What additional issues will the Media Practitioners Bill address?""

"No, there won’t be any conflict. The council will operate under delegated authority, with the secretariat still part of the Zimbabwe Media Commission. The Commission, as a Chapter 12 institution, holds the ultimate responsibility and authority over media matters. However, there's a need to further professionalize the field, address additional issues, and clearly define who qualifies as a journalist. Currently, registration could include various individuals, but we need to establish educational standards. The first and most essential step is recognizing journalism as a profession, which will set the foundation for developing the industry.""

"Jenfan Muswere responded, "Will a Media Council not conflict with the Zimbabwe Media Commission? What role will the council play?""

"We need to establish strong ethics and a code of conduct. Journalists and media practitioners should be accountable for their actions, whether positive or negative. There must be a complaints mechanism that allows the public to report issues within the media industry, as well as a system for media practitioners to address concerns among themselves, helping to resolve challenges within the field."

"Muswere responded, "What steps can we take to develop the industry?""

"Of utmost importance is Zimbabwe's foreign policy "we are friends to all and enemies to none."

"Jenfan Muswere stated during an exclusive interview with Sputnik Africa"

"We are dedicated to defending, advancing, and preserving the achievements of our liberation struggle."

"Jenfan Muswere addressed Sunday News"

"Under the leadership of His Excellency President Mnangagwa, more than 7,000 projects have been completed, the majority of which have been commissioned."

"Some of the projects involve energy, mining, and various infrastructure developments, including the Beitbridge-Masvingo Road, the Beitbridge-Harare Road, and the construction of Marovanyati and Muchekeranwa Dams, among many others. These initiatives are part of our goal to become an economically empowered upper-middle-income society by 2030."

"Delays at the Plumtree/Ramokgwebana Border. We are collaborating with the Government of Botswana to address this challenge by transforming the current border into a One-Stop Border Post"

"In the interim, efforts are being made to improve efficiency and extend the operating hours of the border post"

"On the issue of processing passports, I am glad to inform you that the Government will, in the first quarter of 2026, install the e-passport system here at the Embassy in Gaborone"

"This will mean that as long as your documents are in order, you will now be able to apply for and collect your passports at the embassy within seven working days"

"Zimbabwe remains open for business for its nationals based abroad. Our mantra is that ‘Nyika Inovakwa Nevene Vayo / Ilizwe Lakhiwa Ngabanikazi Balo"

"We encourage you to form consortiums aimed at investing in agriculture, mining, infrastructure, tourism and real estate in line with your skill set and in recognition of the enabling environment the Government has created in those sectors"

"The valuable skills you have acquired in your sojourns here in Botswana should be harnessed for the promotion of business enterprises in your homeland, particularly in the domain of value addition and beneficiation"

"The Government is taking measures to address the concerns of our diaspora communities, including those pertaining to the ease of doing business in Zimbabwe and the challenges faced in the repatriation of profits and other related investments"

"I would like to assure you that the Government is ready to continue improving the ease of doing business in Zimbabwe and protecting the interests and welfare of the Zimbabwean business community in Botswana"

"Let me reiterate that you should take time to reflect and consider investing in your motherland"

"We have come to attend the fifth Regional Children’s Celebrations or Commemoration. This is the United Nations Children’s Day, but then the region decided to celebrate this day together to recognise the importance of children in the region. It started with Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and others were coming in. Now we are quite happy, we now have Namibia in, Mozambique, Malawi, South Africa, and we have Eswatini, they have all joined. This is a day when the children interact, and specifically for the Zimbabweans, we have the junior parliament, and we have the child president"

"It is this time that the children give to the Presidents what they feel should be done by authorities for them. Because they are the future leaders of tomorrow. And so I am here to represent His Excellency the President, who was supposed to be coming here to join with his colleagues in the region to commemorate this day"

"We are therefore advising all citizens of Zimbabwe that any reports and actions designed to create instability in Zimbabwe will be met by the full force of the law"

"We wish to make it very clear to all Zimbabwean citizens that the security organisations will only stand in support of those political leaders that will pursue Zimbabwean values"

"We will therefore not accept, let alone support or salute anyone with a different agenda"

"Let it be known that the highest office on the land is a ‘straight jacket’ whose occupant is expected to observe the objectives of the liberation struggle"

"Any change designed to reverse the gains of this revolution will not be supported"

"First we must admit there is a crisis. Everyone can see that. So we must do something about it. It is important for the nation to be told that we are facing an economic crisis. In my view, it is not right to keep quiet and let nature take its course"

"There is no need to fight over these results. We must accept the reality that we have lost these elections to the MDC. What is important is to live together in peace, both losers and winners. We do not want violence in this area. We are relatives"

"Our achievements as government also advance millennium development goals, particularly quality education and well-ventilated classroom blocks encompass inclusive learning"

"Our schools promote gender equality, that is a safe space that encourages girls’ participation in STEM and this improved infrastructure promotes attendance and performance. This double-storey used land sufficiently, and we will continue with teacher capacitation"

"I am stepping down as the vice president of the Republic of Zimbabwe … with immediate effect"

"not as a matter of cowardice"

"I have been going through a soul-searching pilgrimage and realized that I need the space to deal with my problems outside the governance chair"

"As Matabeleland South, we are endowed with natural resources, which are our God-given treasure. Let’s use them for our benefit and enrichment"

"Let’s not be onlookers while others come from elsewhere and exploit our resources. Let’s form consortiums to drive investment. Without us taking the lead, no one will come and develop our region"

"There was no truth, no integrity. It was a lie—totally untrue"

"There was nothing like that. No one gave him the power to change the figures"

"Those countries gave us clothes, food and many of the things that we wanted, but not arms. But we understood why, because the racist regime that we were fighting against was to a great extent white and many of the people who came to settle in Rhodesia were not from England. Some had come from Italy, some from Holland and others from all over Europe."

"It was very difficult for these governments to give us arms to fight against their own people. But they did not mind giving us food, because I think that in their own argument we had to exist"

"They could not give us arms, but they could give us food and after they had taken that stand there were a few who did that, like Sweden, Belgium to some extent, Norway again to some extent and Holland to quite a great extent. In Holland it was not the government, but non-governmental organizations, as in Denmark"

"Our mission was not really to go and kill people, but to protect them. In the course of the events, we might find it necessary to kill the enemy, but that was not the objective. The objective was to change his way of thinking and let him see that what was going on in Rhodesia was wrong"

"We could see that they were absolutely concerned about us and would like our situation to change. When we found that extending to the Swedish government, we realized that they must have the same heart because with Amnesty International and the schools that were involved in sending letters and clothes, adopting children or detainees and their families, it was tremendous, absolutely tremendous. It could not come from any other group of people, except those that had the correct heart"

"When we got the money directly, we also became more enthusiastic. You could then say to the youngsters: ‘Go inside the country. You can take this amount of food, and when you need it you can use it.’ And when there were areas within the country that needed food, they could actually come and get some from us. During the later stages of the struggle, the liberated areas inside the country needed food. And sometimes the food was brought from Mozambique"

"There were many fronts in the war. Within the country we had to make our people understand what was going on and within the liberation movement itself all of us had to understand the purpose of the war. We also found that our friends needed people who could work with them almost on a full time basis. Our external relations office in Maputo was very busy, collecting newspaper cuttings and giving out information to the people that assisted us"

"When you go beyond the Limpopo, you must realize that you are going beyond apartheid and when you return we hope that you will keep it that way and start to influence people who will not be able to cross the Limpopo, but nonetheless should leave apartheid behind.’ It was important for them. We had some South African farmers who came here and lived with fellow Zimbabwean farmers, sharing the peace and quietness and the development that these communities of farmers were experiencing."

"We brought in students. The students’ programme went on a little longer, because it involved not only students from South Africa, but from Southern Africa. We had students from Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia and Namibia. It was very interesting to watch these youngsters discussing and thinking about the future"

"The president wants to leave this country on a trajectory in terms of values, in terms of destiny, which will not be reversible"

"Anyone who wants to contest us, feel free"

"We need to address the issue of international re-engagement, corruption and indiscipline, we need an investor-friendly business environment, and finally we need to ensure credibility in the conduct of the 2018 elections"

"We could have had a considerable amount of investment, but for the existence of that act"

"I believe the attempt to impose it was an attempt to legalize the theft of assets of companies, and the warning that anybody trying to start a new company would face the same penalty has been more than enough to stop anybody coming to the country with new investment funds. So the removal of the act is what we are now hoping for"

"I am saying if we are getting ZWL$7000, it should be US$7000 and if we are getting 20 litres worth of coupons it should be 20 litres in US Dollars"

"On a point of privilege Hon Speaker, it is said half a loaf is better than nothing"

"I would like to appreciate the salary we are getting but if you convert the salary we are getting per month, it amounts to US$170 and as an MP you are expected to do everything from that US$170 including looking after your family, servicing the vehicle and everything"

"I also appreciate the coupons we are getting which are not acceptable in all garages including the garages which are owned by our chefs (leaders). They need coupons which are in US Dollars"

"Hon. Member Chingosho, you have been too pre-emptive"

"I am meeting the chief whips this afternoon to discuss among other things the two issues you have raised."

"There is absolutely no truth in those fabrications that soldiers have joined anti-Government protests"

"All the armed forces are standing solidly behind the Government. They will not take part in illegal activities that seek to remove a constitutionally elected Government"

"But we also know that there will be so many people posing as soldiers. The opposition has been trying their best to get what will appear as camouflage of the Defence Forces in order to confuse people that they have teamed up. But the soldiers are not part of that. Government is in control because there is the police and the Central Intelligence organisation. They will expose this. There is no breakdown of law in Zimbabwe. The police have managed to contain the situation"

"When soldiers are deployed everyone can see it. You don’t have to imagine. There is a wrong impression that is being created and purveyed through hostile media that things are very bad in Zimbabwe. But the truth is that the police have managed to control the situation"

"persistent power supply constraints pose risks to industrial and mining productivity, potentially dampening growth prospects"

"Volatility in global commodity prices, coupled with constrained access to external concessional financing, may adversely affect export earnings and fiscal stability"

"For instance, the drastically higher tariffs imposed by the United States on imports from most economies could have direct and indirect effects on the export earnings of the SADC region"

"GOVERNMENT is yet to begin collecting revenue from the introduced wealth tax targeting the affluent and other shadowy businesspersons named mbingas or zviganandas, despite its legislative approval, Finance"

"However, economic growth is expected to rebound in 2025 to 6 percent, mainly driven by a recovery in the agriculture, mining, and services sectors"

"This revision reflects improved coverage of formal and informal businesses and better measurement of economic activity across sectors"

"The structure of the economy has also fundamentally changed, with the manufacturing sector now leading at 15,3%, followed by mining at 14,5%, and financial services at 10,8%"

"This marks a shift from the historical dominance of wholesale and retail trade, reflecting greater industrialisation and financial deepening key indicators of sustainable development"

"Turning to our environment, the effects of climate change are no longer abstract"

"Zimbabwe has experienced increased extreme weather events, droughts, floods, and cyclones that threaten ecosystems, agriculture, biodiversity, and human security"

"Banks will lend to companies that have demonstrably strong cash flows. Some companies have been able to access loans at reasonable rates, so it’s not always a matter of liquidity but of leadership"

"Currently the Zimbabwean banking sector is characterised by slightly above US$4 billion in deposits of which above 70% are transitory in nature. This on its own is a major handicap of the banking sector to be able to finance mining sector. It is out of these little resources that all sectors require a share"

"The local money markets have failed to take off meaningfully, with local capital market, that is, ZSE also failing to provide an adequate platform for fundraising for economic development. This then calls for the economic players to strategise and look at means of accessing finance from outside the country. We have seen big corporates including Bindura Nickel Corporation taking this route"

"However, in the liquidity constrained environment characterising the country, banks in Zimbabwe are not in a position to meet the capitalisation needs of many players in the mining sector"

"It is imperative to look at the alternative sources of financing to circumvent the liquidity challenges affecting the country"

"The ability of the mining sector to access financing in a depressed economy like the one currently characterising the country requires that the mining companies be innovative and look beyond the border"

"The ability of the sector to attract financing requires that the laws governing mining in the country be transparent and investor friendly"

"While the issues had been raised as a matter of principle and for the need to contribute meaningfully to this government especially by upholding the oversight function of parliament provided for under Section 119 (3) of the constitution, it is apparent to mention that proof beyond reasonable doubt under the circumstances would be impossible, making such a publication defamatory"

"I therefore wish to issue an apology, unreservedly, to Mr George Guvamatanga for the reputational damage the tweets may have caused, and I have made instructions that the tweets be erased with immediate effect"

"due process will be followed in accordance with the Standing Rules and Orders and the Constitution of Zimbabwe leading to a properly approved motion"

"We are saying — as war veterans — enough is enough. You have shown that you have failed. It can’t get any worse"

"Corruption has become a security threat because these people are being protected by Emmerson. So, as war veterans, including masses, we are being asked, ‘Why did you give us this kind of a person? We no longer like him.’ So, we are pleading with you: Leave peacefully. If you don’t, people will use the constitution for you to go"

"who fought in the trenches to liberate this country"

"It is clear to us that Mnangagwa has failed, he is not fit to run this country and his time to go is now"

"How do you claim not to be involved when your ministers appointed under your hand issue statements in support of this illegal and treacherous 2030 agenda"

"Emmerson Mnangagwa on assumption of power showed that he was a man who had learned nothing… instead of correcting the mistakes of Robert Mugabe, he went about proving to all of us that Mugabe was actually a saint"

"systematically targeted and purged war veterans in various arms of government and replaced them with crooks"

"who either belong to his clan or are benefactors to his family through his childen"

"Since assuming power, Mnangagwa has neglected civil servants who are now earning slave wages. Our men and women in uniform have lost their dignity even in the eyes of the public due to state sponsored poverty"

"When the military took over, I found it to be very wrong"

"I see empowering our people being the number-one task"

"I have no record of theft or corruption, and I will fight corruption in the true sense of fighting it"

"It’s destroying our economy"

"We the founders, leaders and supporters of the NPF hereby inform the nation of Zimbabwe that the NPF has disbanded with immediate effect from September 19, 2018"

"The main reason for disbanding the party is that NPF has outlived its purpose. NPF was formed as a response to the events and circumstances of November 2017 that led to the removal of the previous Government of Zimbabwe and in our opinion we perceived it to be a threat to national security and stability"

"However, after careful considerations and deliberations our party came to the conclusion that the November 2017 events were in the best interest of Zimbabwe as a nation. To that end, the existence of the NPF is no longer necessary"

"As such we deem it expedient and appropriate to disband NPF and also to join and support the Zanu-PF party and Government in its endeavour to build a better Zimbabwe for all unity and loving and progressive Zimbabwe"

"We came here early in the morning after we were told what had happened. I still thought he might have been badly burnt, it was difficult to reconcile that he actually died - burnt beyond recognition"

"Rex Nhongo, Gen Solomon Mujuru, was just a charred body - one of Zimbabwe's greatest sons"

"He was very, very respected particularly among the military in Zimbabwe and among the liberation war veterans. His liberation war credentials were pretty impeccable"

"He had to handle a lot of internal politics within the party, a lot of politics within the military and for him to be able to handle that and retain his capacity as head of the military showed that he was a tough guy"

"There's definitely going to be a lot of speculation about this, for two reasons: One is [that] his predecessor died in a car crash and also because of what's going on right now in Zimbabwean politics - the issues around the succession"