Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, 92, has accused the current crop of African leaders of not putting the interests of the continent first, reports said on Thursday.
According the state-owned Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), Mugabe said some of the leaders had even "regressed".
Mugabe said this during his five day state visit to Japan, where he met with his Japanese counterpart, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Speaking to 38 African diplomats based in Tokyo, Mugabe urged them to put the continent's interests first, in the same way that the founding fathers had.
"Poor African states contributed immensely to the independence of the continent. Some leaders accuse me of belonging to the old, the old generation meaning people like Julius Nyerere, Kwame Nkrumah and Sekou Toure. Yes I accept, and we had one goal that is to see the total independence of the continent," Mugabe was quoted saying.
The state-owned Herald newspaper quoted the veteran leader as saying that the founding African leaders never backtracked on matters of principle.
Mugabe said the current crop of African leaders had lost the ground.
"I think we should re-examine our African policies," Mugabe said.
This was not the first time that the nonagenarian has lambasted his African counterparts.
In January, the Mugabe urged African leaders to honour the legacy of the continent's founding fathers.
Mugabe, who has been at the centre of controversy regarding the continent's relations with the West, has been applauded by many while others have criticised him for his long stay in power.
Source: News24
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