African countries have intensified their push to get two permanent seats in the United Nations Security Council with the continent’s leaders exploring the option of pulling out of the UN if their demand for reform is not met, President Mugabe has said.

The President made the remarks at the Harare International Airport yesterday while addressing hundreds of Zanu-PF supporters who welcomed him on his return from the UN General Assembly in New York, as well as the Non-Aligned Movement conference in Venezuela.

In a bold speech that is likely to stir debate on the continent, President Mugabe said African leaders discussed options of withdrawing from the world body on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. The decision, was however, shelved until next year’s UN summit where the continent’s leaders are expected to go for broke.

Under the Ezulwini Consensus agreed to in 2005, African countries have been requesting two permanent seats in the UN Security Council as well as five non-permanent seats but Western countries have refused to give in to Africa’s demands for fair representation in the global organisation.

President Mugabe said: “Asi pagore rino takaenda mushure mekuti taita committee yedu, yekuAfrica kuti ngatichisunganayi tigoti isu kana musungo uyu watirikuda warambwa tingaitei?

“Tinova nehurombo nekuti takanga tisati tapedza kukurukura ku Africa Union nekusungana asi zvichazovako mugore riri kuuya iri rekuti tinoda chisungano chinoti icho kana vakaramba vachi ramba . . .”

President Mugabe said the UN would be the loser without Africa as well as other powerful countries such as China and Russia who could be willing to form a new body.

He said not all powerful nations in the UN Security Council were against Africa’s demands but the West is throwing spanners to block the continent from getting two permanent seats.

He said, “Handi dzose dzirikuramba ana Russia nana China varikubvuma, varikuramba iBritain, France neAmerica.

“Vakaramba vachiramba kudaro United Nations yakasimbaradzwa nenyika dzekunze, varege kuzochema, isu tese tasungana kunovamba wedu musangano.

“Tingauvambe pamwe chete ne China, pamwe chete ne India, nedzimwe nyika dzeku Asia, togoona kuti vanosara navanani.

“Izvi ndozvatiri kuda kuzoita, gore riri kuuya muna September tasungana zvakanaka.”

President Mugabe said although the issue had been widely discussed, some cowardice African Heads of State were afraid of implementing the move for fear of reprisal by the West.

He said fellow African countries needed to be courageous if they were to take the West head-on and make bold demands.