L'état c'est moi

are the words allegedly spoken by the Sun King and Comrade Bob has misappropriated them. Mobutu Sese Seko while meeting Zairean (as they were then known) students in the US was asked to comment on allegations that he had plundered Zaire's mineral wealth for his own personal gain. Overcome with emotion, he responded by saying, "When I think of what this country owes me." No doubt, Robert Gabriel Mugabe believes that Zimbabwe should be forever in his debt.