Zimbabwe bashes media reports of president’s grave illness

Harare, Zimbabwe (AHN) – Members of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s political party are playing down media reports about the president’s ill health.

The statement from ZANU-PF came after local media claimed that Mugabe was airlifted to Singapore late last month for possible treatment of prostate cancer. Britain’s Daily Mail claimed the Zimbabwean leader was “close to death.”

Information Minister Webster Shamu described the rumors as “hogwash” and “nonsense.”

He said Mugabe is doing fine and will be at a cabinet meeting set for Thursday.

“All those rumors are coming from our detractors who want to divide the party, but it will not work…we don’t accept such kind of nonsense,” party spokesman Rugare Gumbo told Voice of America.

Critics of the government called for more transparency about the president’s health.

“Zimbabweans deserve to know about the health situation of those that they elect into office,” independent political commentator Effie Dlela Ncube said.

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