Mugabe makes jokes of his 'illiterate' cabinet

Mugabe makes jokes of his 'illiterate' cabinet

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By Torby Chimhashu

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe left Zanu PF delegates and candidates for the forthcoming general elections in stitches when he dismissed his cabinet as illiterate following an incident in which he failed to handle a French enquiry which came on his own office telephone.

In a rare moment of taking pot shots at himself and those around him, Mugabe said he was left with an egg on his face when a full cabinet meeting at his Munhumutapa office failed to assist a French caller "because no-one could speak French”.

Mugabe said: "People say vaMugabe and his cabinet are educated. Zvipi apa, hapana zviripo (there is nothing to boast of). They are illiterate and even myself I am illiterate because I kept a French caller hanging on my phone for several minutes while I ran around in the building looking for French speaker amongst ourselves.

"No one is the whole Cabinet could speak French. It was embarrassing. I approached Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi who then rushed to bring in his secretary who had spent five years in France and Belgium .

"She took the notes from the caller. This how we were saved. We must not be self-centred to think that English is the only language."

He made the remarks as he pressed for inclusion of more foreign languages such as German and Spanish in the schools curricula to “try and fit” children for future tasks and challenges.

The Zanu PF leader bemoaned the falling standards in high schools especially boarding schools where he said standards had gone down dramatically.

Mugabe said: “Twenty eight years of independence, we have hygienic conditions and sanitation in poor state. Don’t blame the teachers. If you go to a boarding school, children have a bath once a week. During our time there were serious inspections.

"We must keep high standards of hygiene in the schools. Colonialists used to do that. Why can’t we do the same?"

While admitting that the brain drain had taken its toll in the education and health services sector, Mugabe refused to blame himself, arguing that the targeted sanctions and dwindling resources were at the centre of the teething problems in those areas.

Mugabe is seeking a sixth term during elections on March 29.
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