Mugabe ridicules 'ignorant' Tsvangirai who was a pain to work with

President Mugabe yesterday ridiculed MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirai saying he was an ignorant leader who was a pain to work with.

Addressing mourners at the burial of Retired Air Commodore Mike Tichafa Karakadzai at the National Heroes Acre, President Mugabe who worked with Tsvangirai in the inclusive Government for over four years, equated Tsvangirai's attempts at regime change as akin to "a frog aspiring to be a crocodile".

He said Tsvangirai advocated security sector reforms when he had no knowledge of carrying out such reforms.

"Since when has a frog aspired to be a crocodile?" President Mugabe asked.

"Ehe, tinoruma, takaruma masettlers muno, without those biting teeth we will not have got our country. "Kozoti iwe unotawuka tawuka zvako uripapa you want to do sector reforms? Zvinosekesa. Knowledge yacho unoiwana kupi? Where did you get the knowledge to do that reform from? Hanzi we must do security sector reforms, you see, chinoshupa ndechekuti pamunhu anenge asina ruzivo anozviziva kuti handina ruzivo, you can deal with him better.

"You are better off with an ignorant person who is aware, conscious, of his ignorance, who accepts that he is ignorant, but if you are ignorant of your ignorance inhamo huruhuru. Uchifunga kuti kusaziva hungwaru, ah, unopinza vanhu munhamo."

President Mugabe said it was shocking that some people voted for the MDC-T in 2008 and continued to do so even on July 31 when it was clear the party lacked leadership qualities. He said working with the MDC-T in the inclusive Government required "real patience and endurance".

"Kuti mufambidzane muchinzwanana hurukuro dzacho nema ideas acho zvinobva zvasiyana kure kure," said President Mugabe. "Ndiani anoti sikiriri kufunhaidza majudge. Vose kutuka asi mangwana wozoenda kwavari kuti ndinenyaya yandinoda kuti muione, vakare vawabva kutuka nezuro? Koruzivo rwaunarwo rwakaita sei? Ndivo vainzi namai vangu dofo chairo iro.

"Munhu ungave dofo kupfuura ipapo? So, well, I hope our country will never get ignoramuses muyine vana vakaenda kuma universities vakaenda kuzvikoro vatinosimudzira. Vamwe vanobva vati ndivo vatinoda, chamunoyemura chii? Harare kuvhotera, Bulawayo kuvhotera, chiendai munopihwa zvamakavhotera ikoko."

Mr Tsvangirai filed a petition at the Constitutional Court contesting President Mugabe's massive victory in the July 31 harmonised elections which he later withdrew, claiming he would not get fair judgement.

This was after he criticised the bench, accusing it of being biased.  Many observers wondered why Mr Tsvangirai had the guts to approach the Constitutional Court with the petition after scolding the judges. President Mugabe received 61.09 percent of the presidential vote compared to Mr Tsvangirai who got 33,94 percent.

Mugabe defended the deployment of ex-military officers in civilian positions saying they had the skills and are role models of valour, patriotism, honesty, industriousness and discipline.

Mugabe dismissed as "nonsense" views by the MDC-T and its associates that such deployments were tantamount to militarisation of the State and scoffed at some calls for security sector reforms.

"Men and women with the correct political ideology and military prowess such as Cde Karakadzai formed the backbone of our defence forces at independence," he said.

"With time, their immense skills came to be deployed variously as the situation demanded. Hence, these military cadres have from time to time been deployed to civilian positions in their various capacities."