ZIMBABWE’s president Robert Mugabe, celebrating his 89th birthday, said on Saturday he believes he will resoundingly defeat his opponents in elections this year and remain in power for another five years.
Mugabe said he was confident his Zanu-PF party will triumph at the polls and accused his rivals of claiming a recent increase in political violence was intended to cover up an upcoming election defeat under the guise that the polls would not be free and fair.
This statement has to be taken with more than a pinch of salt, not only due to its content but also in light of previous statements by Zimbabwe’s Finance Minister, Tendai Biti, who has ruled out holding elections because the country’s cash strapped treasury cannot afford to finance a poll.
So it is fun and games again: Constitution Referendum and National Elections, what and when will it be?