Mugabe scoffs at critics that expected him to bring loads of cash from China

President Mugabe yesterday scoffed at critics that expected him to bring loads of cash after his State visit to China, saying such people were not conversant with how governments operate.

The President said this while opening the annual chiefs' conference at the Zanu-PF Convention Centre here yesterday. "Ndinoda kuti ndikuudzei kuti rwendo rwatakaita kuChina was very, very productive (I was to tel you that our China trip was very, very productive). Izvi zvekunzi tingadai takauya takazadza mabox emari, aah hameno kuti manegotiations iwayo hazvisiizvo zvaanoitwa (The issue that we were expected to bring boxes of cash, ahh those negotiations don't go that way). You agree nenyika kuti tine maprojects akati neakati, neakati atinoda mari dzakati dzakati saka ndozvatinazvo. Tinoda kuti either you give us loans, soft loans dzisina interest yepamusorosoro or you come and join us toita joint venture (You agree with a nation that we have projects that need funding).

"So the country yamuri kukumbira inouya (you are begging from) as partner to you. Hamungopihwa mari hakuna nyika inongopa mari (You will not just be given money, no country just dishes money). Here and there you get a grant, yes we did get a grant, a small grant but we had commitments. Our roads yes, vachauya voita our roads, vachauya kuagriculture, vachauya kuzoshanda nesu kudiamonds (They will come and do roads, they will also partner in agriculture, they will also come and work with us on diamonds)," President Mugabe said.

He said the Chinese had expressed interest to work with Zimbabwe in cutting and polishing diamonds as they were doing with South Africa, Botswana and Namibia.

"Those can employ hundreds of our young people from school boys and girls. Parliament, they say it's a grant they are going to give. Iyo yese iyo you don't pay anything for that. Mukaona yavakavakira Malawi (you saw what they built for Malawi), of course ours would be much bigger, it's a beauty an absolute beauty with the gadgets very modern. Zvese muzere dzimba dzemaMPs so they are going to build that for us.

"They are going to do roads . . . ehe we are going to have new dual carriageways. . . Beitbridge to Harare, Harare to Mutare and so on that is what we would want to see," he said.

The President added that Zimbabwe had already signed a deal with the Chinese for the expansion of Kariba Hydro Power Station.

"So these projects will be coming. You will be seeing them, but off course things don't just overnight become shining, but I can assure you kuti aah komhiri kunana Britain, Europe and America they are beginning already to worry kuti tatotorerwa nzvimbo neChina. Saka vakutinyengererera iye zvino izvi asi isu tinombodawozve kana uchinyenga musikana haangakuti anokuda nezuva rimwe chete (Countries like Britain, the EU and America are beginning to be worried that China is taking all the projects. So they are now trying to appease and propose to us but when you are proposing to a girl, she cannot accept your proposal on day one)," President Mugabe said.

"Saka maprogrammes iwaya kana achiuya ndeedu tese tinenge tichida employment yevanhu vedu. Isuwo tinenge tichida kuzvipa mabasa maengineers edu emigwagwa ezvemagetsi mametallurgist ese tinoada (So if these programmes are successful, they belong to all of us because we want employment for our children. We also want to give jobs to our engineers)," he said.

President Mugabe said the deals were under Government's economic blueprint, Zim-Asset and said the traditional leaders had an important role to play in the programme.

President Mugabe said it was therefore important that the education sector be revamped to ensure that the country's institutions produced graduates who were into productive sectors.