ZIMBABWE'S President Robert Mugabe turns 83 on Wednesday, fit for his age and combative in the face of a crumbling economy, social unrest and a looming battle over who will succeed him. Mugabe, the subject of frequent health rumors but who last year said he feels like a 28-year-old, will celebrate his birthday with a huge party on Saturday.
But gathering clouds risk overshadowing the festivities. Critics accuse Mugabe -- one of Africa's longest-serving leaders -- of plunging the southern African state into a severe political and economic crisis through controversial policies. Although Mugabe has managed to ride out the storm in the past seven years, political analysts say he faces a more potent threat now because the economy -- seen by the World Bank as the fastest shrinking outside a war zone -- could spark anti-government protests.
On Sunday, police riot squads fired tear gas and water cannon to stop a major opposition rally which the government said was a launch pad for a new street campaign against Mugabe's rule. "The economic situation is deteriorating so fast ... and as it does, Mugabe's own situation gets more and more desperate," said John Makumbe, a veteran political commentator and an outspoken Mugabe critic. "The deteriorating economy may prove a much more implacable opponent even for a cunning politician like Mugabe, and I think we are going to see more social unrest and that unrest will destabilize Mugabe and Zanu PF (the ruling party)," he added. |
