The 93-year-old Mugabe broke his tradition of walking the 100 meters to the podium and instead was driven in his official car before soldiers helped him into place.
Mugabe has been in power since the end of British colonial rule.
This once-prosperous country now faces a cash crisis and high unemployment. A bill presented to parliament last week would have banks accept livestock as collateral for loans. And an education official has said livestock can be accepted as school fees.
World leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin sent congratulatory messages to mark the independence anniversary.
When it comes to the country’s economic mess Zanu PF has clearly run out of ideas what to do to revive the it and run out of excuses why the economic has remained in the mess all these years!