Robert Gabriel Mugabe

On Monday, Zimbabwe's president Robert Gabriel Mugabe turns 87.

 

It will be a birthday marked by rumours about his failing health. Any appearance the apparently ailing Mugabe makes will be closely watched for signs of sickness that give the lie to his spokesman's claim that Mugabe's only problem is a gammy eye.

 

Mugabe has just returned from Singapore, a trip officially acknowledged as his annual holiday, slightly extended to accommodate post-operative treatment following eye surgery.

 

Zimbabwe's non-government media isn't buying it. One newspaper contains reports that he in fact received cancer treatment, arriving back in the country looking frail, allegedly in a wheelchair.

Tags: Robert Gabriel Mugabe, Singapore, Zimbabwe