9 In April 2000, he urged war veterans to hit back, saying: “Let those in the MDC and their friends listen to this message. We can unleash greater violence than them.” (Source: The Chronicle, 1 April 2000.) Opening Pungwe-Mutare pipeline in March 2000, he said: “Those who try to cause disunity among our people must watch out because death will befall them…” (Source: Daily News, 17 March 2000) In April 2000, warning the opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai that he was playing with fire, he said: “Let him not start the fire which may engulf him!” In its complaint in connection with the lawsuit against President Mugabe in America, the litigants alleged that Mugabe told Operation Tsuro operatives: “We are at war again . . . If one of you is asked why you are killing, you say, it is not us, it is the President.” Operation Tsuro was allegedly a clandestine operation set up to attack members of the opposition. It must be stressed, however, that there has been no independent confirmation that this statement was made. (Source: Newsweek, 11 December 2001). Speaking at the ZANU PF Congress in December 2001, he said: “This is a real physical fight and we have to prepare for it. I urge a party youth, women’s league and every party member and worker to join the fight to protect our nation, our independence and our heritage. The nonsense that the MDC has resorted to, the acts of violence can be brought to an end. We have to be, to move like a military machine and you prepare in your own units to move forward. … The MDC can never win these elections, never, never, never. Never, never, never. … Tsvangirai what would he know about the war of liberation? He ran away – fled the country, scared of fighting without being trained.” (Film footage from film entitled Fighting For Rights) On 31 March 2002, he said in Zvimba: “No nonsense will be tolerated. Those who want to rebel and become lawless, we will deal with them firmly. We will make them run if they haven’t run before we will make them run now…. We will not pander to them any longer. That’s gone. It’s finished. We are now entering a new chapter, and there will be firm government, very firm government….” Robert Mugabe: extract from speech in English and Shona celebrating his re-inauguration and clarifying his policy towards the opposition MDC. (Source: Film footage from film entitled Post Poll 2002) Speaking about the urban support for the opposition, he said: “Let them dwell in their islands of Harare and Bulawayo. They are enclosed islands “if they step out of them whose territory are they on.” Can Harare produce maize?” (Source: Film footage from film entitled Post Poll 2002) Their words condemn them: The language of violence, intolerance and despotism in Zimbabwe.