Rumours that Zimbabwean President Mugabe is close to death

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://www.smh.com.au/world/mugabe-c...410-1wls5.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...d-illness.html

Robert Mugabe is 'fighting for his life' in Singapore hospital

- Zimbabwean tyrant 'close to death'
- He is believed to be suffering from prostate cancer
- Close family members are at his bedside
- Mugabe has already greed to hand over power to Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa

The end: the man who destroyed Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe was said to be close to death tonight. The 88-year-old, who is believed to be suffering from prostate cancer, flew to Singapore by private jet on Saturday for treatment. His wife, Grace, and close family members are reported to be at his bedside.

The tyrant has undergone several bouts of therapy in Asia in recent years. But his condition has now deteriorated and there were claims tonight that he has agreed to hand over power to his feared henchman and defence minister, Emmerson Mnangagwa. Rumours over Mugabe’s health have been rife in recent weeks because of his frail appearance. There was heightened speculation today when the Zimbabwe government postponed a cabinet meeting at the last minute.

Rhodesia: the name of Zimbabwe before independence in 1979/80. Once was an exporter of food to the rest of Africa known as the 'breadbasket of Africa' - now a country in starvation.

The Zimbabwe Mail, quoting a senior official of Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party, said the leader, who has ruled the country since its independence from Britain in 1980, was undergoing intensive treatment in Asia. Mugabe was supposedly in Singapore to oversee his daughter Bona’s enrolment at university. But registration does not start until September and opponents said it was unlikely he would travel abroad to deal with such a matter in person. Sources in Iran, which has a warm relationship with Zimbabwe, said Mugabe had agreed on his successor. The Tehran Times said the tyrant had entered into a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ to hand over power to 65-year-old Mnangagwa, who helped orchestrate the violent opposition to Britain in the 1970s.

The former Zimbabwe intelligence chief was also widely blamed for the brutality following the 2008 presidential election after Mugabe’s rival, Morgan Tsvangirai, took an early lead in the voting. He is also thought to have played a major role in the crackdown of the opposition Zapu party in the 1980s that left thousands of civilians dead. There was no comment on Mugabe’s health tonight from either his family or from the Zimbabwe government.Mugabe’s aides have denied there is a medical emergency, claiming he is enjoying an Easter break in Asia with his family. But Zimbabwe’s vice president, Joice Mujuru, has reportedly cut short her trip to Asia to return home and prepare for the possibility of Mugabe’s death. The tyrant is understood to have travelled to Singapore eight times last year for medical treatment. A diplomatic cable released last year by Wikileaks said Mugabe was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008 and given five years to live because it had spread. He is said to have defied pleas from his own doctors to step down.

His ailing health has been cited as the main reason that a hard line faction of his ZANU-PF party has pushed to rush through new elections. The Zimbabwe Mail quoted a British-based Zimbabwe analyst, who wished to remain anonymous, as saying: ‘Mugabe’s health impacts entirely on Zimbabwe’s political landscape. Everything revolves around his health and his age.’ In February, Mugabe declared himself ‘fit as a fiddle’. Last month he celebrated his 88th birthday with a lavish party in the capital, Harare, reputed to have cost £650,000. The leader was said to have feasted on a cake in the shape of a crocodile.

Mugabe was hailed as a hero by many Africans when he came to power 32 years ago with Zimbabwe looked on as a model for a successful transition from white rule. But the nation’s fortunes have plunged together with Mugabe’s reputation. He is now regarded as one of the world’s worst human rights abusers. He has been accused of murdering thousands of his own citizens and brutally crushing all opposition to his rule. His policies have also been blamed for driving Zimbabwe into bankruptcy. Mugabe’s land reforms in particular, leading to violent seizures from white farmers, have been harshly criticised by the British and American governments.

I believe in heaven and hell and I have no doubt that if the rumours are true, Robert Mugabe will certainly not be joining Ian Smith or Cecil Rhodes up in the sky.

I was in Rhodesia when he took over, best country I've ever been to. And he ruined it, but we share some of the blame. We gave it to him. We should have supported the Rhodesians.

- Ken, Portsmouth, 9/4/2012 21:57

A great slice of news for the Rhodesians, although sadly nothing will bring it back.


Thoughts?

[jasey]

While I don't like to praise anyone's imminent death or damn them to hell (which I do not believe in one bit), it is comforting in the sense that he will finally be losing his power that he shouldn't have had once he started driving the nation in to the ground. The unfortunate truth is that world is full of people just as radical as Mugabe. The difference between these parts of Africa and the rest of the world is that, for the most part, such blatant human rights abuse isn't condoned or allowed to this degree. I have no doubt that once Mugabe is gone another radical just as bad or worse than he is will pop up in Zimbabwe or another country on the continent to give the human race more to feel apprehensive about.

[Technologic]

Calling it Rhodesia is terribly outdated.

[GirlNextDoor15]

I don't think much will change after his death. The next president can be as ruthless as he is and I genuinely believe the cult of personality will be continued by the next president. All we can do is just hope for the best.

[Grig]

Calling it Rhodesia is terribly outdated.

This.

I don't think much will change after his death. The next president can be as ruthless as he is and I genuinely believe the cult of personality will be continued by the next president. All we can do is just hope for the best.

and this.

Basically if you think anything will change, it's quite delusional. He is going to appoint a successor based on more continuity, someone with a similair ideology. Even Mr. Tsvangirai wasn't able to do much and has been for the most part been moved to the shadows.

[Suspective]

Hopefully if he does die it'll spark reforms and maybe hand power over to another political party who can at least be slightly fairer than Mugabe and his party.

Whatever happens his days are numbered being at the age he is.

[j0rd]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rd_V2PVZbA

I remember there was a big fuss about him, but it all died down. Like Lizzie said, if hes handed power over to Mnangagwa i'm pretty sure hes going to be a similar president to Mugabe, so it doesn't look like its going to get any better.

[Jordy]

If he dies it's not going to become paradise over night but I don't think Undertaker ever advocated that, merely pointing out what it used to be and how prosperous it could be. History generally shows that dictators tend to be replaced by people less extreme and it would certainly not be a bad thing if Mugabe were to go. At the moment there is no hope for the country, at least a new leader cause spark a leadership debate/potentially revolution or at least some reforms.


At 88 he's certainly not got more than a few years in him, sadly that's also the case for the Duke of Edinburgh and Nelson Mandela, two men of similar ages.

[HotelUser]

I'm very glad to hear that he's on the brink of death, it's a shame Singapore allowed him in the nation for treatment.

[GirlNextDoor15]

I'm very glad to hear that he's on the brink of death, it's a shame Singapore allowed him in the nation for treatment.

I guess it's to preserve good relations between both countries?