This is Mugabe’s first foreign trip in almost a month.
Mugabe has not left the country after being confined to his Blue Roof residence in Borrowdale, ever since he stepped down, following the Zimbabwe Defence Forces’ military takeover, codenamed Operation Restore Legacy on 15 November.
Prior to his forced resignation Mugabe was one of the most travelled heads of State , choosing to attend almost every summit he was invited to.
Mugabe is reported to have left the country on Monday evening with his wife, former first lady Grace Mugabe.
The couple is expected to stop-over in Malaysia where their daughter, Bona, is expecting her second child.
Bona left the country together with her husband Simba Chikore and son, Simbanashe almost a fortnight ago. According to NewsDay , the Mugabes used state-owned Air Zimbabwe to travel.
An official who spoke to Reuters said:“He has gone for a routine medical trip to Singapore was due for a check-up but events of the last few weeks made it impossible for him to travel”.
Ironically, the timing of the trip means that Mugabe will not be in the country when Zanu-PF endorses his former aide, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, as its leader and presidential candidate for the 2018 harmonised elections at an Extra-ordinary Congress to be held on Friday.
Post published in: Featured