Birthday Celebrations( 01-03-02)

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GWERU – . For the first two hours, President Robert Mugabe was the missing guest at his own birthday party. As the fawning festivities for his 83rd reached their climax, Mugabe made a grand appearance, sporting a Zanu (PF) baseball cap, a ruling party shirt and matching trousers.
With First Lady in tow, and his private army surrounding him, the much-hated leader made a perfunctory tour of the stadium, waving his clenched fist to shouts of:
“Rambai makashinga Gushungo (Remain resolute).”
He told the crowd: “Ukanzwa kuti makore 83, ungafunga kuti ndiko kuchembera manje uku. Asi, aah, inongova number. (83 sounds like an advanced age but to me it’s just a number.”
“President Mugabe, mukomana akangwara (Mugabe you are a clever boy),” gushed a six-year old girl, while reciting a poem praising Mugabe’s leadership. The party was peppered with poems, speeches, and decorative tips laid down by the party leadership, while George Charamba, Mugabe’s propaganda secretary, made sure the whole stadium was emblazoned with lavish laudatory messages.
“EU where is your conscience?” said a poster. Another one read:
“Succession politics, not ouster politics please.”
Outside Mkoba Stadium, hundreds of people anxious to share in the feasting were turned away. And the thousands who managed to get in were disappointed as food was only available for a few top guests, who feasted without restraint as thousands of children watched in awe.
At least 36 beasts were barbecued and served to the party leadership, bussed from the country’s 10 provinces, at a party purportedly for children. At the top table, whisky flowed in abundance.
Mugabe’s lieutenants handed over more than 40 Captain Morgan rum bottles to the octogenarian’s bodyguards as birthday presents.
This year, four days of events included Friday night’s Miss 21st February Movement beauty pageant in Gweru, where ruling party bigwigs literally fell on top of each other to donate towards the President’s birthday party. Deputy Youth Minister Saviour Kasukuwere made the biggest donation of $10 million. Before that, was a party for Mugabe’s Munhumutapa staff, held at State House and organized by the First Lady.
An angry ruling party supporter who was denied food despite travelling from Zvishavane told The Zimbabwean: “It is immoral for them to feast while everyone else is starving.” – Gift Phiri