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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Mugabe rival wins key supporter | Mugabe rival wins key supporter |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Simba Makoni, a former Zimbabwean finance minister who plans to challenge Robert Mugabe for the presidency, has won the backing of a key politician. | Simba Makoni, a former Zimbabwean finance minister who plans to challenge Robert Mugabe for the presidency, has won the backing of a key politician. |
| Former interior minister Dumiso Dabengwa is the first Zanu-PF political heavyweight to endorse Mr Makoni's bid. | |
| The announcement came as Mr Makoni was set to launch his election campaign for the 29 March presidential vote. | The announcement came as Mr Makoni was set to launch his election campaign for the 29 March presidential vote. |
| Mr Makoni's entry makes the election a three-way contest that also involves opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai. | |
| President Mugabe has called his opponents "witches" and "charlatans". He also called his rivals "traitors and two-headed creatures". | President Mugabe has called his opponents "witches" and "charlatans". He also called his rivals "traitors and two-headed creatures". |
| All Makoni is doing is to create an environment where we can say how we want our country to be governed Dumiso Dabengwa | |
| Launching his re-election campaign on Friday, he said he was certain of victory in next month's presidential and parliamentary polls. | Launching his re-election campaign on Friday, he said he was certain of victory in next month's presidential and parliamentary polls. |
| Mr Mugabe has been in power since the country gained independence from the UK in 1980. | Mr Mugabe has been in power since the country gained independence from the UK in 1980. |
| 'For the people' | |
| Former parliament speaker Cyril Ndebele joined Mr Dabengwa at a news conference with Mr Makoni in Zimbabwe's second-largest city of Bulawayo. | |
| "We urged him [Mr Makoni] to come clean and take the burden and we will give him the necessary facilitation and support," said Mr Dabengwa, who served as interior minister under Robert Mugabe. | |
| "It is not about his ability or strength. It's about the people of Zimbabwe and enabling them to chart the manner in which we can face the challenges," he said. | |
| Robert Mugabe is hoping to secure his sixth term in power | |
| "All Makoni is doing is to create an environment where we can say how we want our country to be governed." | |
| Mr Dabengwa was head of intelligence with Joshua Nkomo's forces during the liberation war in the 1970s. | |
| Soon after Zimbabwe's independence in 1980, he was charged with treason - by President Mugabe's government - but acquitted. | |
| In recent years, he has been a senior member of Zanu-PF's powerful politburo. | |
| Economic plunge | |
| The economy has collapsed under Mr Mugabe's rule, with the annual inflation rate at more than 100,000%. | |
| He blames the state of the country on Western sanctions imposed following allegations that he rigged the 2002 polls. | He blames the state of the country on Western sanctions imposed following allegations that he rigged the 2002 polls. |
| The sanctions are targeted at Mr Mugabe and his close associates - they are subject to a travel ban and an assets freeze in the European Union and the US. | The sanctions are targeted at Mr Mugabe and his close associates - they are subject to a travel ban and an assets freeze in the European Union and the US. |
| As well as hyper-inflation, there are food and fuel shortages and just one in five adults is believed to have a job. | As well as hyper-inflation, there are food and fuel shortages and just one in five adults is believed to have a job. |