{{Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe, celebrating his 89th birthday on Saturday, said he believes he will win another five-year term in crucial elections expected later this year.}}<\/p>\n
The veteran ruler, who hosts the lavish celebration every year, cut an 89-kilogramme cake and was presented with minted coins to mark the occasion.<\/p>\n
His Zanu-PF party said $600,000 had been collected for the bash from private companies and individuals.<\/p>\n
The 20,000 strong crowd was treated to expensive food and drinks in the small mining town of Bindura about 90 kilometres north east of Harare.<\/p>\n
In his speech, the President who last year visited Singapore more than five times seeking medical help, said he was confident that Zanu-PF would reverse the 2007 election setback where it lost control of Parliament for the first time since independence.<\/p>\n
He accused his coalition partners of claiming an upsurge in cases of political violence allegedly perpetrated by Zanu-PF to cover up for their impending defeat in the polls likely to be held in July.<\/p>\n
\u201cWherever there is a funeral, even if the person has been gored by a bull, they say it is Zanu-PF,\u201d President Mugabe said, drawing laughter from the stadium.\u201d Even if someone falls from a vehicle, they say it is Zanu-PF.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have a problem that they blame anyone who dies on Zanu-PF. This is a disease not in Zanu-PF.\u201d<\/p>\n
The coalition government the veteran ruler formed with former fierce rival and now prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai in 2009 after bloody polls was sharply divided last week after a 12 year-old boy was burnt to death in a suspected politically motivated arson attack.<\/p>\n
Mr Tsvangirai\u2019s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) accused a Zanu-PF minister of being behind the killing of the son of its official in Manicaland province, Mr Shepherd Maisiri.<\/p>\n
NMG<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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