Mugabe celebrates his 84th in style

Robert Mugabe's birthday present from his cabinet colleagues last year was a leopard skin; this year, the Zimbabwean president got a stuffed crocodile at his official birthday party on Saturday. The croc, they told him, was a symbol of his "maturity and wisdom".

The bash was held in a stadium at Beitbridge on the border with South Africa. Zim 1, as his security men know him, flew in by helicopter, to be met by dancing members of the Zanu-PF Women's League, who chanted "Mugabe chete, Mugabe chete!" (Mugabe alone, Mugabe alone!) He wasn't alone, of course. By his side was his second wife, Grace, who is his former
secretary and 40 years his junior.

Under a sprawling white marquee the couple first celebrated mass (Mugabe is a staunch Catholic), then kissed, danced a little, and sat down to a champagne feast topped off with a thickly frosted birthday cake.

Their party of close friends, family and colleagues were separated by heavy security from other guests. The event was open, anyone could come, and thousands did. They filled the stadium, and were sporadically fed with a free meal of chicken and rice and a cool drink. A minor riot broke out when service was thought to be too slow.

Ironically, many of these guests were people who had recently attempted to escape from Mugabe's stricken country by crossing the border illegally, and had just been dumped back in Zimbabwe by the South African border police. An attractive young women said she hadn't eaten in three days. "I heard about the party, I came along, and here I am having a free meal. Thank you, Mugabe!"

There were attempts at serious protest, but these were immediately crushed by police, who arrested some 70 demonstrators. One woman broke through the security cordon, and ran up to the Mugabe party with a banner that read: "Fidel Castro has left office but you are still there. Please it is time for rest now."

But observers noted that Mugabe looked fit and well. He clearly has no intention of following his fellow socialist dictator into retirement.