'It was horror working with Tsvangirai,' says Mugabe

President Robert Mugabe says it was a ‘horror moment' working with opposition MDC formations during the lifespan of the inclusive government, telling his party not to allow a repeat of that period.

Speaking at an occasion to mark the first anniversary of his election victory at State House on Thursday, Mugabe said during the inclusive government he was subjected to abuse and humiliation by his political enemies after his party had failed to defend the liberation struggle.

"We were harassed by people who had no supporters, no seats at all, but found themselves now in power just because we were not united as a party," he said.

"Today we must not just celebrate this day, but ensure that the experience that we went through is not repeated. We endured an experience where we were made slaves. Takange takasungwa mbira dzakondo nevanhu, kwete neMDC, but nema British nemaAmericans vaishadisa veMDC kuita regime change. (Britain and her American friends had put us in a fix in order to bring about regime change)."

Between 2008 and 2013, Zanu-PF was forced into a coalition government with the MDC formations after disputed presidential election.

The regional body, Sadc, forced the three main parties to jointly  form a government in which Mugabe remained the president while Tsvangirai served as prime minister with Arthur Mutambara and Thokozani Khupe being his deputies.

"This happened because we were divided, we allowed ourselves to be divided and this time around, this is an issue that we must not allow to happen again. Today I say the people showed us that unity is the only thing that can take the country forward. So we are saying with this unity, we were freed from the bondage that had tied us," Mugabe said.

Last year, Zanu-PF won the July 31 general elections with a wide margin, with Mugabe getting 61% of the presidential contest while his party recorded more than two thirds majority in parliament. His main rival, Tsvangirai, got 33%.

Mugabe said the opposition still does not understand how they lost the polls despite their claims that the elections were rigged.

"Just because their masters have said elections were rigged, they are also saying the same. You ask them, how were they rigged? They cannot explain," he said.

Turning to international relations and how the western powers were treating violence ravaging Palestine, Mugabe lambasted the USA and the European Union for failing to intervene in the crisis where more than 1 000 women and children have so far been killed by Israel.

"The Palestinians who have long hoped for peace and a home are still being allowed to perish, and the world is just looking on, and not raising even a voice, Obama (Barack) is quiet, Cameroon (David) is quiet. Where is the security council?" Mugabe asked.

"Surely, surely we cannot allow that," he said

He said the western nations attacked Libya under the guise that they were protecting civilians, but are now failing to do the same in Palestine where innocent people were being killed by Israelis.