[President Robert Mugabe in a past function. His wife, Grace Mugabe, says the veteran politician would still win elections even if he is on ballot as a corpse. Photo/nohandaradio.com]
The wife of Zimbabwe’s 92-years old President, Robert Mugabe, says that her husband would still win presidency even as a corpse because he is still popular among locals, reports BBC news.
Grace Mugabe, 51, who is a fierce defender of the aging president, was addressing a Zanu-PF rally in the outskirts of Harare.
Mugabe has been at the realm of power in the South African nation since 1980, following a bitterly fought war against the British occupants.
“One day God decides that Mugabe dies, we will have his corpse appear as a candidate on the ballot paper,” Mrs. Mugabe said.
She added: “You will still see people voting him as a corpse. I am telling you just to show you how people love their president.”
Mugabe, who has significantly cut his public appearances due to ill-health, has been endorsed by his party to stand for next year’s elections.
Last September, Mugabe was believed to have died after he cut short his AU attendance Summit to fly to Dubai for heath check.
The veteran leader joked after he returned to Zimbabwe that he died and resurrected adding that his ‘hater’ will live to see him blow centuries.
He is among the longest serving head of state in Africa along Yuweri Museveni (Uganda), Paul Bia (Cameroon), and Paul Kagame (Rwanda) among others.
Closer home, founding President Jomo Kenyatta served for 15-years while his successor, Daniel Moi, served for whopping 24-years before the repealing of Section 2A of the old constitution that limited presidential term to two- terms of five years.