THERE are fears for the health of former Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe after stark pictures emerged on social media showing the ex-dictator looking weak and frail alongside his favourite son.
Mr Mugabe, 95, who had always dressed impeccably during his 37 years in power as first Prime Minister then President seems to have swapped his sharp suits for tracksuits. Son Robert Junior is believed to have posted these three photographs of his dad – two of him seated in June and one last Friday in a wheelchair – on his social media accounts. They have been circulating on Twitter and Instagram and have been published in Zimbabwe and other African countries.
The former hardman who ruled what used to be Rhodesia with a rod of iron from 1980 until he was toppled in 2017 has been receiving regular hospital care in Singapore.
In the photo of Mr Mugabe in the wheelchair he looks slumped and shrivelled and is sporting a white beard and is wearing a black Adidas tracksuit with matching Adidas trainers.
Son Robert Junior, 27, who plays basketball for Zimbabwe is also wearing a black Adidas t-shirt in the photograph that is thought to have been taken recently while in Singapore.
Photographs he is said to have posted in June show Robert Junior sitting with his father also kitted out in his favourite tracksuit and his second wife Grace who he married in 1996.
Mugabe health fears: Former Zimbabwe dictator looks frail in pictures released by son (Image: Jamie Pyatt News)
It is not clear if they were taken in Singapore where he receives medical care or at his lavish mansion in Zimbabwe.
A relative was quoted by a Zimbabwe newspaper saying: “Of all Mugabe’s children he is the one who has spent the most time with him.
“He has been a rock to the former president”.
It was said Robert Junior has been taping his father’s memoirs since he was deposed in a coup in 2017 by his long term protégé Emmerson Mnangagwa who is now president.
Mugabe’s health is in question after President Mnangagwa said the ex-leader could no longer walk (Image: Jamie Pyatt News)
Mr Mugabe’s last major public appearance was at a press conference in July 2018 on the eve of Zimbabwe’s election in which he vowed he would not vote for the man who ousted him.
However his relationship with President Mnangagwa – known as The Crocodile – has thawed since then and when he won the election Mr Mugabe sent his congratulations.
At a rally at Mr Mugabe’s rural home in November, President Mnangagwa said Mr Mugabe was no longer able to walk and was being treated at a hospital in Singapore and was not well.
He said: ”He can no longer walk but we will take care of him”.
Mugabe health fears: The former Zimbabwean was pictured alongside his wife, Grace, and son Robert Jr (Image: Jamie Pyatt News)
Concerns for Mr Mugabe’s health have arisen on several occasions during his life.
Just three years ago a hoax claimed the then President had died mid-air on a trip from Dubai.
Laughing at the story when he landed at Harare airport, Mr Mugabe said: “Yes, I was dead. It’s true I was dead.
“I resurrected as I always do once I get back to my country. I am real again.”
There were also two false claims Mr Mugabe was close to death in 2009.
In one report he was said to have been taken to Dubai for treatment following a “serious scare”, while in a separate incident from the same year he was reported as being close to death in a Singapore hospital.
COMMENTS
I am not fearful by any means comrades – are you ?
RG is the author of all the current ills Zimbabwe is languishing in!!
The man who scr##ed the lives of Zimbaweans for almost half a century. Well his reckoning is well overdue. Unfortunately, his reincarnition is already here. So look forward to many more decades of same, same. Should we shed some crocodile tears?
Memiors!! A work of fiction. Bonfire time.
Please Forgive the old man,I believe Zimbabwe will resurrect from this tomb of natural resources mismanagement. Its not too late for our mother Zimbabwe.
What fears really? Can anyone expect anything (in terms of health) regarding someone who is well over 100 yrs? Such a person would surely have to be insane. It’s common knowledge that official ages of almost all Zimboz who participated in the war of liberation one way or another (and even all those who were of school going age – i.e, 6/7 yrs up by 1979) are generally grossly understated. Its known, most people took new B/Cs & IDs after 1980. Of coz in most cases it was not driven by any malice but simply self-protection. So becoz, indeed most pple (i those groups/generations) had lost their schooling time (zvikoro zvakavhagwa in many areas during the war) yet in Rhodesia one would be excluded from school due age. Thus, most of us did not know what would happen in new regime n to be safe one had to adjust their age. On one hand senior pple like Robert had even much earlier tempered with their proper IDs – for security & other reasons too. Recently we read that ED is also same person to Luke (Ruka) Chivende, among other names. So, what is ED’s really name anyway; or more importantly whats his real age?
Fearful of what, the guy is 90 chakuti and has lived his life he can now join his ancestors happily.He is one lucky bugger to live this long.
I know that unChristian and unAfrican to say it but if ever I saw a dead man sitting…this is he.
But please forgive me. This man and his cohorts, led by ED, sent more of my relatives to early graves that any other leaders before them.
So, please let him slip away so that he can try to make peace with his God.
THE HEALTH OF AN OLD MAN IS PERFECT .HOW MANY SO CALLED CHATTY PEOPLE WILL REACH 95YEARS.ALL OF US HAVE SINNED.I THINK BOB IS BLESSED THATS WHY HE IS ALIVE