Robert Mugabe Dying? Zimbabwe Dictator 'Fighting for His Life'

by NowPublic Staff | April 10, 2012 at 08:29 am

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Zimbabwe Strongman Robert Mugabe 'Fighting Prostate Cancer' in Singapore

Robert Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe with an iron fist since its independence from Britain in 1980, is apparently fighting for his life in a Singapore hospital. A document unearthed by Wikileaks stated that Robert Mugabe was suffering from prostate cancer, which would kill him within a few years.

88-year-old Robert Mugabe allegedly visited Singapore on March 31 to oversee his daughter Bona Mugabe's entrance into grad school. However, classes don't start until September.

Senior Zimbabwean officials deny that Robert Mugabe is dying.

Robert Mugabe was a hero of the Zimbabwean revolution, but went on to become that country's worst nightmare: Zimbabwe's economy is in ruins, and its currency has no value beyond its borders. Unemployment and starvation are rife, and foreign investment is slow to take off due to the unstable political situation.

Under the guise of redistributing land, Mugabe's ZANU-PF party seized white-owned farmland for itself, and locals were left homeless and unemployed.

The ailing leader's health has been the subject of intense speculation since WikiLeaks last year released a 2008 US diplomatic cable saying central bank chief Gideon Gono had told former US ambassador James McGee that Mr Mugabe had prostate cancer that would kill him by 2013.

Emmerson Mnangagwa Will Take Over Zimbabwe When Mugabe Dies

Zimbabwe's Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, former head of the Zimbabwean Central Intelligence Service, is on deck to run the country. Don't expect much in the way of democratic reform from Mnangagwa, whose nickname is "The Crocodile", due to his ruthless tactics in dealing with any opposition.

Emmerson Mnangagwa is tied to at least 200 political murders, and several attempts on MDC leader Morgan Tsvangerai's life.

Emmerson Mnangagwa launched a nationwide campaign of violence and intimidation against Morgan Tsvangerai's MDC party.

Tsvangerai is currently Prime Minister under a tenuous power-sharing agreement.

Morgan Tsvangerai and his wife, Susan, were in a car crash just after he was sworn in as Prime Minister, leading to inevitable speculation that the crash was a failed assassination attempt. Susan Tsvangerai was killed in the crash.