President Robert Mugabe arrived home from Singapore on Thursday, quashing a media frenzy that the 88-year-old leader was battling for life in a hospital in the Asian country.
Mugabe jetted in at the Harare International Airport shortly after 7am. He deplaned in the company of the First Lady, Grace Mugabe, who held his hand down the steps. Cabinet ministers, senior government and Zanu PF officials and service chiefs welcomed Mugabe.
Mugabe shook hands with the officials, chatted with Vice President Joice Mujuru who then led him to his vehicle.
Mugabe did not grant an interview to a battery of local and foreign journalists who were at the airport as early as 5am.
Information and Publicity minister Webster Shamu told the journalists that the return of Mugabe showed that he was in good health.
Shamu said President Mugabe will chair Cabinet this morning.
“People have to tell their own story now,” said Shamu.
“They have seen reality. He is as fit as a fiddle. Why do we wish somebody dead and lie about our head of State. Why pander to the agenda of imperialism.” He added: “We all know about the issue of regime change and denigrate any revolutionary process. What we have now is a press propagating an agenda of imperialists, but they will never succeed.”
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
There were rumours over Mugabe’s health with some international media organisations saying he was on the deathbed in Singapore surrounded by his family members. Some online publications claimed Mugabe had handed over power to Defence minister Emmerson Mnangagwa.
His absence had affected government business as a number of meetings were last week postponed due to his absence.
An online publiction, Zimbabwe Mail, which first claimed that Mugabe was battling for life had by this morning had removed the article from its website.
A twitter account @zanu_pf purporting to be that of Zanu PF had this morning claimed that Mugabe was now dead.
