Zimbabwe’s public is mad and has taken to social media to express their displeasure after President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government reportedly chartered a plane for former president Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace, who flew to Singapore over the weekend for medical checks.
Mugabe, 94, and Grace, 53, have “been struggling with poor health, regularly travelling to the southeast Asian country for medical attention”, local media the reported.
Reports last week indicated that Mnangagwa spent more than half a million US dollars to fly Grace home to attend her mother’s funeral.
At least $550 000 was used to charter a top-of-the range jet from a company in Qatar, said the private Standard newspaper.
“The money, it has been established, was sourced by a local business tycoon with vast interests in energy.” reported local media
After Mnangagwa’s magnanimous behaviour the Mugabe’s made an about turn and endorsed Mnangagwa as Zimbabwe’s new ruler. The Mugabe’s also called on critics of Mnangagwa to support him as they had forgiven him.
A day before the July 30 harmonised elections, Mugabe told a press conference that he was not going to vote for Mnangagwa. The former president went as far as calling his successor a hardworking man who cannot be trusted because he is dishonest.
The private jet developments surfaced amid reports that the southern African nation’s new finance minister had taken to Twitter to ask for donations to help the government fight cholera that has killed at least 25 people and made thousands of others ill.
Zimbabwe has declared a state of emergency due to the Cholera outbreak as well as banned public gatherings. Mthuli Ncube, who recently took his oath of office, said the emergency crowdfund would “further efforts to fight cholera to date”.
