President Mugabe in Singapore – again

Source: President Mugabe in Singapore – again – NewZimbabwe 01/06/2016

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe is now in Singapore after attending the 8th summit of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) in Papua New Guinea, NewZimbabwe.com has learnt.

The Zimbabwean leader also stopped in Singapore on his way to the two-day summit which was held on Monday and Tuesday.

Sources familiar with his travel schedule said Mugabe would likely return home next week in time for Zanu PF’s central committee meeting.

It was not immediately clear whether his 30-strong delegation (according to Papua New Guinea officials) would also remain in Singapore with him or they were ordered to take scheduled commercial flights back to Harare.

“The latest Singapore stopover is interesting because meetings of the Zanu PF politburo and central committee have also been scheduled for next week.

“While the politburo gathering is expected, the central committee meeting is highly unusual,” a party source told NewZimbabwe.com

London used to be a favourite and regular stop-over for the globe-trotting Mugabe with his claimed shopaholic wife reportedly ministering to her claimed weakness for pricy accoutrements.

However, since the veteran leader was banned from travelling to Western capitals over allegations of electoral fraud and human rights abuses, Singapore has become the new London for the Mugabes.

But observers say the regular visits have more to do with the veteran leader’s failing health than his wife’s shopping. Mugabe turned 92 this year and reportedly struggles with age related challenges.

Meanwhile it is the second time in two weeks that the Zanu PF leader has travelled to the island city state in South east Asia.

After attending centenary celebrations at his former university in South Africa, Mugabe took his chartered Air Zimbabwe plane to Singapore on the weekend of May 21, supposedly to pick up his family after the birth of his grandson.

He returned home in time for his “million-man”, only to leave Harare again two days later for Papua New Guinea where the local government said he was the only head of state attending the ACP summit.

Opposition parties have repeatedly condemned the foreign trips.

“(Mugabe’s) foreign trips never cease and it seems like he gets sick if he spends a single month in Harare,” MDC-T spokesman Obert Gutu recently.

“So far this year his trips have gobbled a whopping $80 million and there is not a single achievement made through his insatiable appetite for air travel. “

Gutu added: “The MDC thunderously condemns Mugabe’s purposeless and costly trip to Papua New Guinea because it shows Mugabe’s cavalier approach to the issues affecting Zimbabwe.

“People have spoken but he remains mute, deaf and blind. His obstinacy is amazing. Even trips that require a secretary of a ministry, Mugabe takes over.

“To date he lives as the most travelled African leader who brought home more hunger, poverty and suffering.”