President Robert Mugabe has left for Singapore for a medical check-up barely a week after celebrating his 93rd birthday.
Mugabe, who insists that he is not stepping down until he is told to by his Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front, is the party candidate for next year’s elections though some overseas media publications have said he is not likely to make it.
According to The Herald, Information Secretary George Charamba said Mugabe left Harare this morning “for a scheduled medical review” and is expected back early next week.
It is not clear what Mugabe is suffering from but former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono told United States embassy officials in June 2008 that Mugabe had prostrate cancer.
Gono said the cancer had metastasized that Mugabe would only live for three to five more years, according to doctors.
Mugabe has defied all odds but talked of his own death at his birthday party on Saturday.
"It's not always easy to predict that, although you are alive this year, you will be alive next year. It does not matter how healthy you might feel. The decision that you continue to live and enjoy life is that of one personality we call the Almighty God,” he said.
"We should thank the Almighty God that I was able to live from 92 years last year to 93, but much more than that I was able to live from childhood to this day – that's a long, long journey."
Meanwhile former ZANU-PF youth leader Godfrey Tsenengamu who is accused of subverting a constitutionally elected government or alternatively undermining the authority of President Mugabe after he said Mugabe must step down to give way to his deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa has been granted $100 bail.
He is on remand until 9 March.
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