PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has turned the tables on his Chinese allies saying Zimbabwe would be stupid to accept investment from China and any other foreign country without pre-conditions.
This contradicted Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment minister Saviour Kasukuwere, who was once quoted saying the Chinese would not be affected by the indigenisation regulations.
Addressing the Zanu PF 13th Annual National People's Conference in Gweru, Mugabe warned the Chinese that they would no longer be protected from the controversial indigenisation laws, which compel foreign-owned companies to cede 51% shareholding to locals.
"Even our Chinese friends, you have to accept our rules here if you want to work with us," he said.
Mugabe said the Chinese should respect local conditions and vice-versa.
"We have to work on a reciprocal basis," he said.
Mugabe said foreign investors were free to bring in their capital and technology, but should never dream of owning land and majority shareholding in local companies. "This will be robbery, theft," he thundered. "If you are a leader and agree to this robbery, then you are not a good custodian of your people's resources."
He said it was time 100% indigenisation was introduced, claiming the country had now done enough to acquire 51% shareholding in foreign-owned companies.
He said mining would be the first sector to be affected by the proposed 100% indigenisation.
Meanwhile, Mugabe has been challenged by party supporters to walk the talk and stop making empty threats after he said he would fire all ministers fingered in corruption.
Mugabe said he was informed by former South Africa President Thabo Mbeki that his trusted lieutenants were demanding bribes of up to US$5 million from potential investors claiming part of the bribes were meant for him.
Immediately after the threat, ministers could be seen fidgeting in their seats while the rest of the delegates applauded and pointed at them.
Delegates at the Gweru Convention Centre could be heard murmuring that the President should stop exciting people and pulling a ruse over people's face.
"The President always says things that excite us, but never acts," said a delegate, who for obvious reasons, declined to be identified.
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"Look East, good citizens, for unlike the corrupt Rhodesians of the West, the Chinese will treat us with the fairness and respect of professional businessmen... wait, they expect us to give them something in trade instead of stealing all their money and spending it on guns and mansions? THIS IS AN OUTRAGE! HOW DARE THEY NOT KNOW THEIR PROPER PLACE BENEATH MY FEET!"
What's funny is that Mugabe will never run out of suckers who will fall for his scams, simply because the UN will never admit that they were wrong to set him up as president-king-god-for-life-and-beyond of Zimbabwe.
I can see that you still don't have a clue as to what you're talking about. The Chinese are somebody's suckers? The UN set up Mr. Mugabe as President? Get real and try to make a little sense with your comments!
Mugabe kicking the Chinese out of his bed? It's going to be a cold, cold night.
I've said this before and I'll say it again. China is a communist nation that has over 1 billion citizens to keep happy (or brutally repressed) and that takes money. With the help of corrupt officials they are robbing Zimbabwe blind. They are already trading cheap manufactured goods at five hundred to a thousand percent markup and getting precious minerals at a deep discount in return. In 2007 zimbabwe trade with china was $16 million against $170 million and it hasn't changed much since then. The chinese are going to eventually infiltrate the economy so much that it's going to be a puppet state and Mugabe will be the first one to make saying the word 'indigenisation' a capital crime.