Robert Mugabe said he had a "divine task" to lead Zimbabwe, shrugging off concerns about his health and fitness for office as he prepares for what could be one the closest election battles since he came to power in 1980.

Few Zimbabweans are ruling out victory for the 89-year-old Mugabe even though his country, once an African success story, is in a decade-long economic slump worsened by Western sanctions and more than four fifths of the population is unemployed.

Since Mugabe was forced to share power withhis chief political rival after a disputed election in 2008, the economy has shown tentative signs of recovery.

Rampant inflation has calmed, the mining sector is buoyant and agriculture is picking upafter turmoil caused by the seizure of farms from their white owners under Mugabe's policy of black empowerment.

Mugabe, Africa's oldest president, maintains that Zimbabwe's difficulties stem from a Western plot to re-colonize it, a view that strikes a chord with his supporters, who see the sanctions as punishment for a justified campaign to wrest their country's wealth from the hands of foreign corporations and the white minority.

To his critics, Mugabe's land seizures and a drive to force foreign-owned firms to sell majority shareholding to locals has delayed economic recovery by discouraging foreign investment.

They say Mugabe, long admired as a liberation hero and pragmatic leader, has turned Zimbabwe into a basket case and squandered national goodwill by clinging onto power through ballot box rigging and intimidation.

The champion of African popular rule has looked increasingly to God to bolster his claim to leadership.

Addressing his staff at a party they hosted for him on the eve of his 89th birthday, Mugabe was serenaded by one of the country's leading gospel singers and spoke of the solitude he has felt since many of his relatives and independence-era comrades died.

"Why is it that all my friends are gone and my relatives are gone and I continue to linger on? Then I say to myself, well, it's not my choice, its God's choice," Mugabe said at the party late on Wednesday, which was attended by state media.

"This is a task the Lord might have wanted meto fulfill among my people," he said. "I read it as a bidding of God... The bidding says you move forward ever."

Tight race?

Mugabe says he wants to continue the liberation struggle and consolidate black economic empowerment.

Mugabe's ZANU-PF party has endorsed his candidacy for the presidential elections, which he and his arch-rival Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai have agreed to hold around July.

Tsvangirai says ZANU-PF rigged and robbed him of victory in three major violence-marred polls since 2000.

Many Zimbabweans say the fragile power-sharing government that has held together since 2008 has helped to make ZANU-PF less autocratic.

"The general consensus is that you need a free and fair election for a real democratic outcome... but there is no consensus that Zimbabwe will get that," said Eldred Masunungure, a political science professor at the University of Zimbabwe.

Mugabe has spent the last two days reorganizing the country's electoral commission and discussing funding for his campaign.

But ZANU-PF appears to have accepted that Mugabe has maneuvered himself into a position where he ends up president for life, a position that opponents say he wants as security against possible prosecution for rights abuses.

"What we have ... is a president celebrating his 89th birthday while planning on how he can continue in power after so many years in office. That is not normal," said professor Masunungure.

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Funny how the evil ones live the longest, 89 and stil craving power no be ur mate pope wey dey resign here?

Africa! Wen wil u wake up? Why allow such in thy land?

This is what happen, when a man thinks he is d solution to all his con3s problems.
Every betrayal begins wt trust and dictator starts as a hero.
Africa ronu!

even at 89, Mugabe still has his head strong in holding on to power just for security sake to save him from being punished for his previous bad behaviors. He he acted wisely and honestly, he wouldn't need feeling insecured.
All i know is if he refused to vacate power, one day, power will definitely leave him.

And some peeps are saying Buhari is too old. Mugabe is 89 and strong.

Anyway, I think Mugabe is the only pro-african President the West have not killed. They killed Allende, Mutharika, Lumumba and Gaddafi. His policies has been pro-black empowerment. He gave Zimbabweans their lands that's been used by british farmers. He nationalised somany industries... Although he didn't go about it quite well but the West also crippled the economy by laying sanctions and bans.

The problem about these pro-african presidents is that they always wanna die on the throne. Power corrupts!

Anyway, na Zimbabwe sabi even if dies on the throne.


Frawzey

Mugabe simply does not have any other place to go or thing to do other than be President.

He has no vision but dreams. Zimbabwe sorry...

At least his ambition is no where near those who think they have a "divine task' to always lecture Africans on how they should run their affairs.

Mutharika was killed by the West?

Who else can be anti imperialism like him