Mugabe could run ‘as a corpse’ in next election, says wife
Anti-gay Zimbabwe leader Robert Mugabe could ‘run as a corpse’ in the next election.
His wife made the comments at a campaign rally today.
Grace Mugabe told the crowds that if her husband should die before their next set of ‘elections’, then supporters should write his name in.
The First Lady said: “If God decides to take him, then we would rather field him as a corpse.”
Mugabe is now 93-years-old, and has said he wishes to live to 100 and never stop ruling Zimbabwe.
His wife also criticised others in the ZANU-PF party who she said were plotting to take over from her husband.
She said: “Anyone who was with Mugabe in 1980 has no right to tell him he is old. If you want Mugabe to go, then you leave together. You also have to leave.”
The leader, who has been President of Zimbabwe since 1987, is a notorious opponent of LGBT rights – recently giving a bizarre speech to the United Nations in which he ranted about gay rights before shouting “we are not gays!”
Homosexuality is not against the law in the country, but LGBT people often face harsh government clampdowns – with Mugabe claiming homosexuality is a filthy disease, and claiming Zimbabwe would “never, never, never” support homosexuality.
Mugabe previously won a Chinese ‘peace’ Prize, but promptly turned it down.
The leader was surprisingly announced as the winner of the China-backed Confucius Peace Prize, which was set up as an alternative to the Nobel Peace Prize but is not officially associated with the Chinese government.
According to the group that runs the awards, the leader was honoured for “working tirelessly to build the political and economic stability of his country, bringing peace to the people of Zimbabwe, strongly supporting pan-Africanism and African independence, and making unparalleled contributions for the renaissance of African civilisation”.
His poor human rights record, poor record on tackling corruption and overtly anti-LGBT stances were not referenced.
