"He denies this, of course," Holland said. "But what is most interesting is that ... he really thought the British government would do something."
But Britain, under former prime minister Tony Blair, proved the equivalent of a disappointing parent, quick to scold and unwilling to listen. When the Labour government made it clear it felt no obligation to subsidize further programs of land acquisition because previous compensation had been misused, Mugabe went ballistic.
"He was nearly crying when he told me that Blair `even poisoned Prince Charles and the Queen against me,'" Holland said.
"I think he granted me the interview because he feels he is getting old and it's time to put certain things on the record. But he expects to win the election and probably will," she said.
Asked how he would like to be remembered, Mugabe told Holland: "Just as the son of a peasant family who, alongside others, felt he had a responsibility to fight for his country and was grateful for the honor that the people gave him in leading them to victory over British imperialism."
RSS