Zimbabwe:  Makoni Denies "Puppet" Tag 

Simba Makoni, a former Finance Minister challenging Robert Mugabe for the presidency of Zimbabwe in upcoming elections has denied being a “Western Puppet.” 

He said such accusations were meant to divert attention from the nation’s economic problems. 

Simba Makoni, who analysts say poses one of Mugabe's greatest tests in the election due in two weeks' time, is running as an independent candidate after being expelled from the ruling ZANU-PF party. 

Disowning the West 

Makoni took his election campaign to his eastern home province of Manicaland, where he addressed a rally of about 3,000 people in Mutare. He told his supporters, “I'm nobody's puppet. I'm not a puppet of the British or of the West.” 

Mugabe has denounced opponents, including rival Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai, as charlatans, Western puppets, witches and political prostitutes. 

Makoni accused Mugabe of trying to divert public attention from Zimbabwe's economic crisis before the March 29 presidential, parliamentary and municipal elections. 

In his words, “Mugabe has ruined the country but is hanging on to power behaving as if he is an indispensable leader.”  

The independent candidate has said he is leading “a movement” including a number of ZANU-PF members but says they will only make themselves known “when the time is right.” 

He accused Mugabe's allies of “letting down the country” by failing to stand up to him. 

Opposition In Disarray 

Despite the political challenge posed by Makoni and Tsvangirai, the opposition's failure to unite behind one candidate, analysts say, could work in Mugabe's favour. 

Mugabe's challengers and critics accuse him of buying votes to win the elections. 

Critics say subsidised loans and farm equipment for farmers, as well as promises by Mugabe last week to increase government workers' salaries, amount to vote-buying. 

In power since independence from Britain in 1980, Mugabe denies mismanaging the economy and says it has been sabotaged by Western states as punishment for his land reforms which include confiscating farms from white farmers.

 

Reuters/AOA/ Qasim