In his lifetime, the late former President Robert Mugabe ‘died so many times’ before his real departure to the pearly gates (if indeed he made it to heaven!) at the ripe old age of 95.
At one point he scoffed at reports of his demise, saying he had even surpassed Jesus who only managed one resurrection considering people had claimed he had kicked the bucket on several occasions.
I guess most citizens speculated about Mugabe’s death because they were fed up of his leadership and death seemed to be the only way out.
I don’t know whether I should say history is repeating itself or Zimbos generally don’t like their leaders and just wish them dead when they learn of their ill health.
Speculation was rife this past week that Vice President, Constatino Chiwenga could be on his death bed as he was not seen in public despite being the acting President.
The country’s second in command does not have a clean bill of health.
In 2018, he spent four months in China receiving medical attention for an undisclosed ailment. Recently he checked in at a Trauma Centre in Harare, though he later insisted he had gone to visit the owner of the health institution who happens to be his friend.
So when he was not seen in public for more than a week performing his duties as the acting President, rumours swelled about his dire situation.
And when he finally came out on Monday to welcome back President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who had travelled to New York for a United Nations Summit, it became a big story for the private media and social media users.
Adding fuel to the fire was the fact Mnangangwa cancelled a trip to Cuba, officially due to bad weather, though speculation had it that it was because of Chiwenga’s health concerns.
“Hands fidgeting repeatedly at airport to welcome E.D,’’ observed NewZimbabwe.com.
ZimLive pointed out Chiwenga was making his first public appearance since September 19 and that he was last seen publicly at the same airport seeing off Mnangangwa.
Social media user Ali Naka, tweeted a picture of Chiwenga at the airport with a caption, ‘Keeping up appearances’. Earlier he had wrote, “The sick one making an appearance at the airport for optics after loads of morphine. Back to the sickbay.”
Meanwhile it is reported that for his trip to and from New York, Mnangagwa hired a private jet which costs US$30, 000 (P360, 000) per hour. You do the maths to see how much of tax-payers money was wasted. No wonder some people always think of the worst upon hearing that our leaders are not well!
Anyway, on that note, I’d like to wish everyone back in Bots a very happy Independence; enjoy the holidays!