Mugabe abandons summit amid failing health as protests feared

HARARE, Wednesday

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe on Wednesday abandoned a regional summit in Swaziland midway and took a one hour break before jetting off to Dubai amid reports he had a health emergency.

Meanwhile, riot police patrolled Zimbabwe’s capital Harare and other cities Wednesday after authorities vowed to prevent further protests against President Mugabe’s government.

Organisers of recent demonstrations had planned a “shutdown” protest day, but shops and offices were open as usual in Harare.

President Mugabe, 92 was attending a two-day annual Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit in Mbabane but left a day before it ended under a cloud.

The summit was due to end on Wednesday. He arrived at the Harare International Airport at 19:44 hrs and at 10 PM he was already flying out.

The privately owned NewsDay newspaper quoted an unnamed government official saying President Mugabe was going to Dubai for ‘medical attention.’

State controlled media, which on Monday had reported the president’s departure for Mbabane, did not say anything about the Dubai trip.

President Mugabe frequently travels to Singapore for treatment.

In the past, he has denied reports that he suffers from prostate cancer and says he only goes to the Far East for eye treatment.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s Defence minister Sydney Sekeremayi today said the country’s security forces were in control after a series of protests against President Robert Mugabe’s rule.

Protesters clashed with riot police last Wednesday and Friday after the law enforcement agents violently broke up demonstrations in the capital Harare.

Mr Sekeremayi was reacting to media reports that soldiers and police officers were ready to join the protests.

“There is absolutely no truth in those fabrications that soldiers have joined anti-government protests,” he told State controlled media.

“All the armed forces are standing solidly behind the government. They will not take part in illegal activities that seek to remove a constitutionally elected government.”

Pictures of Zimbabwean police brutally assaulting protestors have gone viral in recent weeks but the government says the security forces could have been infiltrated by opposition elements.

“We also know that there will be so many people posing as soldiers,” Mr Sekeremayi said.

“The opposition has been trying their best to get what will appear as camouflage of the defence forces in order to confuse people that they have teamed up.

“But the soldiers are not part of that. Government is in control because there are the police and the Central Intelligence Organisation.’