Robert Mugabe: We will not kowtow on the land issue

From the Heroes' Day speech given by the Zimbabwean president in Harare

This is about the survival of our land and we will suffer no delays. We do not kowtow to Western imperialists. We set ourselves an August deadline for the redistribution of land – and that deadline stands. We, the principled people of Zimbabwe, we, the true owners of this land, shall not budge. We shall not be deterred on this one vital issue – the land. The land is ours. We shall feed all. Even the stooges and puppets will have enough. No Zimbabwean should die of hunger.

All genuine and well-meaning white farmers who wish to pursue a farming career as loyal citizens of this country will have land to do so. But we will not allow whites to remain on large properties or own more than one farm while maintaining ties with the former colonial power, Britain. To those who want to own this country for Britain, the game is up and it is time for them to go where they belong. There is no room for rapacious supremacists.

Britain, Europe and the US can impose their sanctions in their devilish ways ... We shall not budge on this vital issue. The land is ours. We are not an extension of Britain. Let Europe's sanctions list grow by another 50, another 100, another thousand, another million. We will in due course announce our own comprehensive response to those countries that have declared sanctions on us. They should recognise that we reserve the right to respond as best we know how. They appear to have forgotten that they also have interests here.

No gold, no silver is precious enough to buy our sovereignty. We are not for sale. We are not for sale, and Zimbabwe is not for sale. Zimbabwe is for Zimbabweans. We are not for the highest bidder in Europe or elsewhere. Let Blair hear it. We are not for the British bidder either.