Source: Macron win puts Mugabe’s age on spotlight – DailyNews Live
Tendai Kamhungira 10 May 2017
HARARE – The election of 39-year-old Emmanuel Macron as new France
president has ignited fresh debate on social media on President Robert
Mugabe whose party confirmed him as its candidate for the next
presidential election expected in mid-2018, when he will be 94.
Mugabe has been in power in the southern African country since 1980, and
claims his ruling Zanu PF party see no viable alternative candidate to him
for general elections in 2018.
Critics accuse Mugabe of wrecking one of Africa’s most promising economies
through policies such as violent seizures of white-owned commercial farms
and money printing. He and his party say the economy has been undermined
by western powers.
Macron’s win has become a big issue on social media, with many stating
that France is investing in the future as opposed to Zimbabwe, which is
caught in a time warp. Macron was elected French president on Sunday with
a business-friendly vision of European integration, defeating Marine Le
Pen, a far-right nationalist who threatened to take France out of the
European Union.
The centrist’s emphatic victory also smashed the dominance of France’s
mainstream parties. Macron becomes one of the youngest world leaders and
is taking over from Francois Hollande on May 14.
Most Twitter users said when Mugabe came to power in 1980, Macron was only
two years old, but they will soon be sitting together at UN summits.
They also spoke much about how the African community and particularly how
Zimbabwe does not value age when it comes to government positions.
” . . . French new President =39 yrs (Macron), Zanu PF Presidential
candidate = 93 yrs (Mugabe),” said @povozim on Twitter.
Other Twitter users also sarcastically said that if Macron was in
Zimbabwe, he would not even qualify to join the Zanu PF youth wing at his
age.
“This is specifically for Zimbabwe. Macron is 39. But that’s just 93 in
reverse . . . How’s the weather?” another tweet said.
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