Mugabe defends economic crisis

Last updated at 15:29 18 April 2005


Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, accused by his critics of rigging three successive elections, has defended his democratic record and his management of an economy in its worst crisis in decades.

At a ceremony celebrating 25 years of independence from Britain, Mugabe also defended his controversial land reform programme which seized white-owned property for landless blacks, saying it was part of a process of empowering Zimbabweans impoverished by nearly a century under British rule.

"In Zimbabwe land governs the ballot. It is a symbol of sovereignty. It is the economy. It remains the core social question of our time," the 81-year-old veteran leader told about 40,000 people who thronged a sports stadium in Harare.

In power since independence in 1980, Mugabe is largely isolated by Western powers who back opposition charges that he has rigged major polls in 2000, 2002 and last month's parliamentary elections.

Critics say Mugabe has ruined one of Africa's most promising economies in his fight to retain power, leading to shortages of food, fuel and foreign exchange, an unemployment rate of some 70 percent and triple-digit inflation.

Mugabe blamed the crisis on World Bank and International Monetary Fund-sponsored programmes in the 1990's.

"Our experiment with the ruinous economic structural adjustment programmes appear to have unleashed mayhem in the economy. We are a lot wiser now," Mugabe said.

Mugabe recounted his government's investments in education and health over the past 25 years, but said the country still faced a big challenge in tackling the HIV/Aids pandemic, estimated to kill over 2,500 Zimbabweans each week.

Most watched News videos