Ugandans President Yoweri Museveni has described his citizens as lazy lot.
This is not the first time Museveni has referred to his people as lazy.
Museveni said the landlocked country has it easy in terms of agriculture due to its proximity to the equator and thus is able to receive two rainy seasons.
He said the good agricultural produce makes his citizens, who he has led since 1986, not work very hard.
Museveni was in South Africa to strengthen trade and political ties between Pretoria and Kampala earlier this week.
He was speaking before a ministerial team in a meeting that was aired on South Africa’s SABC TV.
He said the landlocked country has it easy in terms of agriculture due to its proximity to the equator and thus is able to receive two rainy seasons.
“Uganda, with agriculture things, are much easier because here away from the equator, I hear people have got only one rainy season,” he told South Africans.
He said the good agricultural produce makes his citizens, who he has led since 1986, not work very hard.
“But there near the equator, we have two rainy seasons. That is why these Ugandans are lazy. Because life is very easy for them. You don’t have to work very hard, even a fool can survive in Uganda,” he said as the rest of the leaders broke into laughter.
He told South Africa’s President that for any agricultural supplies they may need, they can cheaply acquire them from Uganda.
The leaders were discussing possible areas of trade cooperation.
Museveni suggested that there ought to be a list of items each country has to offer for easier coordination.
“These items should be listed, South Africa this and this and that, not shouting as we do in the African Union-like theatre. That is why I don’t attend those AU meetings anymore. Come with concrete, what can Uganda produce that South Africa needs,” he said.
This is not the first time Museveni has referred to his people as lazy.
Three years ago in Kampala, Museveni said in Uganda, even if one does not work hard, one can still survive.
“That is why you can find someone who does nothing but is very fat. He is just surviving on the bounty of nature.”
