ZIMBABWE: Mugabe says corruption threatens Zimbabwe economy

President Robert Mugabe said on Tuesday (July 25) his government had defeated what he called attempts by Britain to sink Zimbabwe's ailing economy and overthrow him, but he warned that rising corruption posed a serious threat. Critics accuse Mugabe of plunging the southern African country into its deepest crisis since independence from Britain in 1980 through controversial policies that the World Bank says have made it the fastest shrinking economy outside a war zone. Opening a new session of parliament on Tuesday, Mugabe again blamed Zimbabwe's economic crisis on his political opponents, blaming London for mobilising what he regards as "illegal sanctions" by the European Union and the United States. The 82-year-old Zimbabwean leader accuses Britain of seeking to oust him over his seizures of white-owned farms for redistribution to blacks and said on Tuesday the drive to isolate his government had failed. "Attention should continuously shift towards clearing impediments to optimal productivity in the agricultural sector. These include adequate and timely resource mobilisation as well as security of tenure and stability on the farms, issues of the commodity pricing, production and farmer support programmes," Mugabe said. London denies trying to oust Mugabe and the West insists it has only imposed targeted travel bans on the ruling elite. Mugabe's address was boycotted by legislators from the main wing of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change of Morgan Tsvangirai, which said the combative veteran leader had nothing but hollow speeches to offer a country crumbling under his rule. The MDC has boycotted most of Mugabe's official addresses to parliament since 2000 over accusations that his ZANU-PF party has been rigging elections to stay in power. On Tuesday, Mugabe said Zimbabwe -- which is struggling with the world's highest inflation rate of over 1,180 percent -- hoped to revive an economy in its eighth year of recession by boosting the key agricultural sector. Analysts say production in the farming sector has fallen by over 60 percent in the past six years after the farm seizures, but the government mainly blames the decline on drought. Mugabe said the government would increase support to the new black farmers to raise food output and exports in a drive to tackle rampant inflation. But he said growing corruption was threatening Zimbabwe's economic revival programme, and the government would amend its laws to deal with it. "The African Union Convention Against Corruption and the United Nations Convention Against Corruption will be brought before this House for ratification during the Session starting today. Government will, therefore, not hesitate to invoke the full force of the law against those perpetrating this vice, regardless of their social status or political affiliation," Mugabe said.

ITN Source | July 26, 2006

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