Mugabe vows to uproot economic saboteurs

President Robert Mugabe says he will not bow down to machinations by those bent on sabotaging the economy in a bid to make people uprise against the government.

Addressing mourners during the burial of Gogo Maria Msika at the National Heroes Acre today, Mugabe said he is aware of the hidden hand behind the recent price madness and panic buying, describing the culprits as 'some of us.'

"Ndovaya vakataurwa naJesu pa last supper kuti vandinodya navo ndovachandipandukira. Vana Judas Iscariot varipo pakati pedu. Ivavo kongativadzukureika, tivanyadzise. Ivavo ndovanoda kuti kudzipurwe hurumende, kuuye vamwe. President vabve pachigaro. Ko ini chigaro ichi handina kuita zvekubvuta, ndakachipiwa nevanhu, ndechevanhu saka handidi nacho (They are like Biblical Judas Iscariot, who Jesus talked about during the last supper that he will betray him. We have such people in our midst but we should uproot and shame them. They want regime change but I am saying I was given the mandate to rule by the people so I am vacating the post.)," the President said.

"Kwanhasi ndakati zete pachiri ngativei nemaziso akavhurika masikati nehusiku kuchengetedza chigaro ichocho. Toda kuti Gogo Msika kana vazosangana nemurume wavo vavati nanhasi chigaro tichirinacho. (As I am occupying this post, let us all be alert at all times and guard against detractors. We want Gogo Msika to go and tell his husband that we are still ruling)," he said.

"Ava vanoda kukanganisa nyika kuti vanhu vapandukire hurumende hakuna kwavanosvika, tinemaziso hatisati tava mapofu tinenge tichiona kuti idzi itsoro dzirikutambwa. (These detractors will never succeed, we have eyes to see all they are trying to do.)," said Mugabe.

The President also said from Gogo Msika, Zimbabweans have learnt the spirit of sacrifice, and that of love of the family, adding that she belongs to the league of the likes of Gogo Mzenda and other wives of nationalists buried at the national shrine.

"Nhoroondo yavo inhoroondo yevarume vavo. Zvaiita varume vavo ndozvavaiitawo vachivatsigira varikumba. (Their history is the history of their husbands. They supported all that their husbands were doing during the liberation struggle.)," he said.

He also called for patriotism and unity among Zimbabweans.

"Tingasiyana mafungiro ne zvimwewo asi mashandiro edu ngaanangagane nezvinangwa zvedu zvenyika. Kushanda kwedu ngakuve kunoratidza kubatana. Takatanga tiri ZAPU neZanu-PF asi takaona kuti kubatana kwakakosaha (We might have different ideas and cultures but whatever we do should be in support of the national agenda. We must show unity just like we did by uniting Zanu-PF and ZAPU.) We are inseparable; we are all bound together because we all belong to this geographic entity called Zimbabwe. We are equal as the children of the country, we are now free in Zimbabwe as we are no longer Rhodesia," he said.

Mugabe says he first knew the late Vice President Msika when he was teaching at Hope Fountain in Bulawayo and when Msika was not yet married.