'We will arrest you Tsvangirai' says Mugabe

 PRESIDENT Mugabe yesterday warned MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai that he faces arrest if he announces election results before their release by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec). Mr Tsvangirai told his supporters at a rally in Domboshava on Friday that his party would collate all results posted outside polling stations and announce them.

In terms of the Electoral Act, only Zec has the mandate to announce election results.

Addressing Zanu-PF supporters at the party's last star rally at the National Sports Stadium in Harare, President Mugabe said Mr Tsvangirai's remarks were "shocking".

"What kind of madness is that? I have never heard such a statement coming from a Prime Minister, even in the whole of Africa. Who gave you that right Tsvangirai when we have an electoral body that is mandated to do that?

"I can warn you in advance that if you break the law, you will be arrested. He who breaks the law will be arrested. We will arrest you Tsvangirai," he said.

President Mugabe described Mr Tsvangirai as a cry baby who is scared of losing the election.
"He is a cry baby of all the parties," he said.

Poll surveys have predicted Mr Tsvangirai and his party will lose Wednesday's polls. And the MDC-T leader has lately been challenging the readiness of Zec to hold election and the positive assessment by election observers of the political climate in the country.

Last week, he accused Zec and the African Union of conniving with President Mugabe to rig the 31 July poll.
President Mugabe dismissed Mr Tsvangirai's rigging claims saying he has never stolen an election since he assumed leadership of Zimbabwe at independence in 1980.

He said Mr Tsvangirai was merely crying foul because it has become increasingly evident that he would lose the elections.

Mr Tsvangirai said he would collate and announce the election results to deny Zec the opportunity to rig the poll but observers have said this was intended to foment unrest in the country to attract foreign intervention.

They say Mr Tsvangirai is hoping to create a post- election crisis which will force Sadc and the AU to broker another coalition government.

President Mugabe said neither he nor anyone other than Zec had the authority and mandate to collate and announce election results.

The elections body derives the mandate from the constitution.

Cde Mugabe urged the gathering to vote for Zanu-PF to secure the country's sovereignty and advance the indigenisation and economic empowerment programme.

He said the nation was at the crossroad in Wednesday's poll where it will either escape the jaws of imperialism or slip back into the control of colonialists.

He chronicled the history of the struggle against direct and indirect colonial rule dating back from the 1890s when white settlers first came into the country.

President Mugabe said the black majority had finally freed themselves from white minority control but risk giving back the freedom if they did not vote wisely.

He said Zanu-PF, which waged the war of liberation, was the only party that can secure the country's sovereignty and independence.
The President vowed that the party would press ahead with the indigenisation and economic empowerment programme.

"If others (foreigners) want to join us (in exploiting Zimbabwe's natural resources) then they are welcome as subordinate partners," President Mugabe said.

He added: "Your capital belongs to you. If you want your capital as your investment input into my raw resource you are free to do so on condition that you recognise that we are owners of the resource."

President Mugabe said natural resources were a God- given gift and should first and foremost benefit Zimbabweans.

He said the control of African resources by foreign investors was nonsensical as it benefited the foreigners more than the locals whom God bequeathed the resource.

He gave an example of Gabon, Libya and Egypt where natural resources were completely foreign owned and siphoned, leaving locals poor and    restless.

"What right do they (foreign investors) have to call them (African natural resources) their own?" he asked.

He said he will protect Zimbabwe's natural resources with an eagle eye as long as he lived to ensure Zimbabweans derived the most benefit from them.

The First Lady Grace Mugabe, addressing the same rally said President Mugabe was a democratic and God–fearing leader who could not rig and election just to remain in power.

"President Mugabe is a man who fears God, a man who is honest and respectful. He will never want to be the President of this country through undemocratic means," she said.