Zimbabwe’s Mugabe turns 91

ZIMBABWEAN President Robert Mugabe turned 91-years-old on Saturday showing no sign of giving up power as the West slowly eases pressure on a man who has been an international pariah for the last decade. 

  Mugabe, one of the Africa’s most divisive figures, is the only leader that Zimbabwe has known since independence from Britain in 1980.    Leaders from his generation like South Africa’s Nelson Mandela have died while others like Zambia’s Kenneth Kaunda retired long ago, but Mugabe plans to run in the 2018 election, his last under a new constitution, when he will be 94.     

  Last December, Mugabe fired his deputy of 10 years, changed the ruling party constitution to concentrate more power in his hands and promoted his wife, Grace, into the top rungs of the ZANU-PF decision-making politburo. 

  The European Union (EU) and United States imposed travel and financial sanctions on Mugabe and his acolytes in 2002, accusing the veteran leader of vote rigging and human rights violations.