‘I WILL BE THERE UNTIL GOD SAYS COME’-MUGABE

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe ended his year-long term as the chair of the African Union body, with a nearly hour-long speech that seemed to indicate an increasing intolerance for the West’s involvement in Africa’s affairs.

President Mugabe instructed United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, who was in attendance, to tell the West to “shut their mouths,” in voicing its opposition to his 35-year rule, or that of other revolutionary parties like Tanzania’s Chama Cha Mapinduzi, which recently retained control of the government through an election.

“Regime change, Mugabe should not be there, we want someone else,” Mr. Mugabe mocked, referring to U.S. and other Western countries that he has accused often of trying to oust him by strengthening the opposition and civil society groups.

While rumors of ill-health due to his advanced age, and infighting in his Zanu-PF party have raised speculation about his ability to remain in power, Mr. Mugabe, who turns 92 next month, said as long as he’s alive, he’ll be in charge.

““I will be there until God said come, and join the others. But as long as I am still alive, I’ll still have the punch,” said President Mugabe to rousing applause.

A long-time critic of the UN, President Mugabe, however, spared Mr. Ban of any wrong, despite the fact that Ban, who is from South Korea, is nearing the end of his second and final five-year term as UN Chief.

“But you [Ban] have done a good job for us. You have visited our countries, you have wept with us where disease has visited us, whether it was Ebola, or some other, where calamities have occurred, where fights have taken place, where terrorism has also affected us. We thank you for that,” said Mr. Mugabe, adding, “of course you don’t come from those countries.”

Among President Mugabe’s biggest gripe with the UN body, is the absence of Africa in the crucial decision-making Security Council, which comprises five permanent members with veto power – the U.S., France, Britain, China and Russia – while the rest of the countries serve on a rotational basis, with little influence.

President Mugabe and other African leaders have been pushing for Africa to have at least two permanent seats in the Security Council, with equal veto power, arguing that Africa’s 54-member countries justify the need for a say in crucial decisions, many of which affect the continent.