"So, Blair keep your England, and let me keep my Zimbabwe"
About this Quote
The line lands in the charged early-2000s moment when Zimbabwe’s fast-track land reform, violent farm invasions, election intimidation, and economic freefall drew condemnation and sanctions from the UK and others. Mugabe’s intent is to flip the script: cast Western pressure as neo-colonial meddling, recast himself as the last anti-imperial sentinel, and force critics to argue on terrain he controls - legitimacy through liberation history rather than legitimacy through governance.
It works rhetorically because it turns a complex crisis into an identity test. If you object, you’re not just criticizing policy; you’re siding with the former empire. Mugabe’s subtext is also a warning to domestic opponents: external enemies are at the gate, so dissent becomes betrayal. The elegance is in the false symmetry. England is secure enough to be “kept” without anyone’s permission; Zimbabwe, in this formulation, must be “kept” by one man, by force if necessary. The joke-like cadence masks a power move: sovereignty as ownership, and ownership as immunity.
Quote Details
| Topic | Freedom |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Mugabe, Robert. (2026, January 18). So, Blair keep your England, and let me keep my Zimbabwe. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/so-blair-keep-your-england-and-let-me-keep-my-1537/
Chicago Style
Mugabe, Robert. "So, Blair keep your England, and let me keep my Zimbabwe." FixQuotes. January 18, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/so-blair-keep-your-england-and-let-me-keep-my-1537/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"So, Blair keep your England, and let me keep my Zimbabwe." FixQuotes, 18 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/so-blair-keep-your-england-and-let-me-keep-my-1537/. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.



