{UAH} Zimbabwe: Mugabe Appeals for Diaspora Support | African Leadership Magazine

Zimbabwe: Mugabe Appeals for Diaspora Support

He has attacked and heaped scorn on them for allegedly deserting him and their home country to go and become 'British Bottom Cleaners', a contemptuous reference to the many Zimbabweans working as support and care workers for the elderly in the United Kingdom.

Exiled Zimbabweans were also effectively labelled traitors by President Robert Mugabe for allegedly supporting the opposition which he claimed to be in the pay of western imperialists supposedly keen to recolonize the country.

Now Mugabe is appealing to the huge Zimbabwe Diaspora to help rebuild their battered country, apparently forced by the dire economic situation to heed central bank governor John Mangudya's January warning that "this sector is too important to ignore."

Speaking to Zimbabweans based in Ethiopia Monday while on one of his numerous foreign trips, Mugabe said other countries had benefited immensely from their diasporans.

"Ethiopia has managed to do a lot of construction and improvement because a lot of its people are in the Diaspora," he said.

"It is also happening in other countries like Cape Verde Islands and I want to urge our people to come together."

Notoriously unforgiving of those he accuses of betraying him, Mugabe now says even those previously treacherous MDC-T supporters are welcome to help.

"A Zimbabwean is a Zimbabwean whether Zanu-PF or MDC. This is one area we cannot be separated from each other; an area where we are Zimbabweans together," he said.

The change of heart is not difficult to understand.

Aged a prime 91 and struggling with poor health, Mugabe is clearly on the legacy lap of his lengthy political career.

http://africanleadership.co.uk/zimbabwe-mugabe-appeals-for-diaspora-support/

Brian M. Kwesiga

President and CEO,

Ugandan North American Association - UNAA

972.415.6372 | www.unaa.org | "United We Stand"