Mandela cherished his own freedom and forgot about economic freedom, says Mugabe
The Zimbabwean president says the former South African statesman excluded everyone from participating in negotiations after his release from prison.
Former South African president Nelson Mandela celebrates his 90th birthday at Loftus Stadium, 3 August 2008. Picture: Gallo Images
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has taken a swipe at former president Nelson Mandela and said he left whites with “everything”.
He was speaking at the Gweru Youth Interface rally in Harare recently.
News website NewZimbabwe.com reports Mugabe said he talked to a minister in President Jacob Zuma’s office and asked him why the ruling party left “everything with whites”.
“I was in South Africa recently talking to a minister in President Jacob Zuma’s office, and I did ask him how they have handled the land issue after attaining independence. I did ask him why they left the whites with everything. He answered my question in English and said: ‘Ask your friend, Mandela.’
“What was the most important thing for [Mandela] was his release from prison and nothing else. He cherished that freedom more than anything else and forgot why he was put in jail,” he said.
Mugabe said the former statesman excluded everyone from participating in negotiations about the country’s future after his release from prison.
“Look at what he produced. Is this what they agreed upon with the whites? Mandela believed to be equal with the whites and made the biggest mistake of forgetting the land issue.
“They [whites] are in control of land, industries and companies, and are now the employers of the blacks. These blacks have failed to liberate themselves from white supremacy, all because of what Mandela did,” he said.
