via Opposition in sympathy after Mugabe near-fall – NewsDay Zimbabwe October 31, 2015
THERE was an outpouring of sympathy from across the political divide following reports that President Robert Mugabe almost fell over backwards on Thursday as he tried to climb onto a one-step dais, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and some aides rushing to his rescue in New Delhi.
BY MOSES MATENGA
A video showing Mugabe tumbling and breaking the fall has now gone viral on social networks, including Facebook and WhatsApp.
MDC spokesperson Kurauone Chihwayi said Zanu PF should leave Mugabe to retire and rest.
“President Mugabe’s physical and mental mishaps in the past one year have proven beyond doubt that he is no longer fit to continue in office. Ninety-one years is no joke. Even Zanu PF cannot come up with any tricks to reverse it,” he said.
“Mugabe should unconditionally step down in the interest of a starving nation. He is turning Zimbabwe into an international joke each time he steps onto the international arena.”
MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu said at 91, it was clear Mugabe was not a young man anymore and he deserved to rest.
“In our African culture, we are taught to respect our elders. So we can never celebrate whenever an elderly person does something embarrassing, particularly in public,” Gutu said. “As the MDC, we reiterate our call that the President should proceed to step down because he is now too old to effectively manage the rigours of Presidential duties and assignments.”
Gutu said there were selfish officials in Zanu PF out to abuse Mugabe.
“Obviously, selfish people in Zanu PF are abusing the President. They want him to hold on to power not because they love him or like him. They are doing it for their own selfish agendas. They are busy looting and stripping the country of its resources and assets while hiding behind the ‘Gushungo for Life President’ mantra. Most of these politicians in the so-called G40 faction of Zanu PF are seasoned crooks and dealers. They will do anything for money,” Gutu added.
People’s Democratic Party spokesperson Jacob Mafume said Zimbabweans should be ashamed of exposing Mugabe to the international world “at this age”.
“We have maintained that old age is an illness humanity has failed to cure and when old people get to that age, they are ill. It’s an embarrassment to have a person who can’t walk on his own as President,” Mafume said.
“We can’t have people celebrating that your President has walked 50 metres. It’s not only an issue of concern, but an issue of national security and the nation must bury its head in shame that our best foot forward is a 91-year-old person.”
However, Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo accused the private media of misleading the nation and asked NewsDay to read an article in the State media where he was quoted criticising the independent Press for writing negatively about the First Family.
COMMENTS
“To conquer death, you only have to die.”
I do not advocate Dancing on Graves but I do not see the start of a recovery, and even that may be uncertain, until a political or natural death occurs. Everything else is simply waiting for Godot.
THAT IS THE CIVILISED THING TO DO! WHY DOENT HW CALL IT QUITS. ZIMBABWE WINT DIE COS HE HAS LEFT.
If and when Prs. Mugabe goes then we will be in trouble for the next several years, the vultures among us have been circling our blue sky impatiantly for sometime now. Not that they are hungery, they just want more.
You are quite right.
There is certainly a risk that the immediate post-mortem period may turn out to be a rough ride and, when we are in it, we might look back at Robert Mugabe’s reign with a brittle nostalgia. However painful, it may turn out to be, at least it will be the start of something, alive with possibilities, rather than the state we are in now, the end of something dead to possibilities.
I do not think it is a question of if he is going to go. I have it on good authority that he will. Natural processes.
This reminds me of one of his quips. When told that Ian Smith has said he did not expect majority rule in his life time, Robert Mugabe responded, that it was then up to him to make sure Ian Smith had a short life. He did have a sense of humour.
Will the final curtain call be a bag or a whimper?