Mugabe set for lavish birthday
February 28, 2009
Mr Mugabe's supporters say thousands will rally in celebration
Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe is preparing to celebrate his 85th birthday at a lavish party paid for by his supporters.
They have raised $250,000 (£176,000) for the event, being held in Chinhoyi, north-west of the capital, Harare.
The new prime minister, former opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, is expected to be attending.
The event comes days after Zimbabwe asked other African countries for $2bn (£1.4bn) to rescue its failing economy.
Mr Mugabe turned 85 on 21 February but his party is being held a week later.
Organisers say huge numbers of people will join a rally as part of the festivities.
“Now all is set for the event and we expect thousands of people to throng the venue and celebrate with us,” Themba Mliswa, treasurer of the fundraising committee, was quoted as saying.
Last year Mr Tsvangirai criticised Mr Mugabe’s birthday celebrations as “a gathering of the satisfied few”.
Aid needs
The controversial celebrations come as Zimbabwe continues to struggle with the world’s highest inflation, food shortages and a cholera epidemic which the World Health Organisation says has killed 3,894 people since August last year.
There have been more than 84,000 reported cases, says the WHO.
The WHO reports more than 84,000 cholera cases in Zimbabwe
|
More than half the population is believed to need food aid, while just 10% of adults have a regular job.
John Makumbe, a political analyst and critic of Mr Mugabe, said that to stage such extravagant celebrations when so many people were suffering was “obscene and a sign of an insensitive leadership”.
“In a normal country this kind of party would not be taking place in this kind of environment where so many people have no food,” Reuters quoted Mr Makumbe as saying.
Mr Tsvangirai - who sworn in two weeks ago in a unity government with Mr Mugabe ending months of political deadlock - has said it would cost as much as $5bn to fix Zimbabwe’s economy.
The country has asked for $2bn in emergency aid to revive public services and the business sector.
Following a two-day meeting of regional ministers in Cape Town, South Africa, members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union pledged to “pursue measures in support of Zimbabwe’s economic recovery programme”.
But Western donors have said they are waiting for proof that the unity government is really working before sending in funds.
Source: bbc.co.uk/
Comments
Got something to say?
You must be logged in to post a comment.