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| Zimbabweans show support for Robert Mugabe in 'million man march' | Zimbabweans show support for Robert Mugabe in 'million man march' |
| (4 months later) | |
| Several thousand Zimbabweans joined a march through Harare in support of President Robert Mugabe on Wednesday after the main opposition party staged its own rally last month. | Several thousand Zimbabweans joined a march through Harare in support of President Robert Mugabe on Wednesday after the main opposition party staged its own rally last month. |
| The marchers, many of whom were transported to the capital by bus, sang songs praising Mugabe and wore T-shirts displaying his image as they gathered at a central square to hear him address the crowds. | The marchers, many of whom were transported to the capital by bus, sang songs praising Mugabe and wore T-shirts displaying his image as they gathered at a central square to hear him address the crowds. |
| “We are happy that we are marching for our president to prevent the opposition from distracting the country’s leader,” Taremedzwa Chikara, 56, a housewife and supporter of Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party, said. “Our president has the people at heart and we support that a lot.” | “We are happy that we are marching for our president to prevent the opposition from distracting the country’s leader,” Taremedzwa Chikara, 56, a housewife and supporter of Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party, said. “Our president has the people at heart and we support that a lot.” |
| Learnmore Muzarabani, 28, a farmer, said he was marching to show his loyalty to Mugabe over controversial land reforms. “We are here because we love our president. He has done a lot for us. He gave us land and now we are supporting his indigenisation programme,” Muzarabani said. | Learnmore Muzarabani, 28, a farmer, said he was marching to show his loyalty to Mugabe over controversial land reforms. “We are here because we love our president. He has done a lot for us. He gave us land and now we are supporting his indigenisation programme,” Muzarabani said. |
| You can't beat this #millionmanmarch #Mugabe pic.twitter.com/81xnsbHZmt | You can't beat this #millionmanmarch #Mugabe pic.twitter.com/81xnsbHZmt |
| Zanu-PF supporters, many of them young and waving national flags, arrived in Harare from across the country by bus, train and truck to attend what organisers had dubbed a “million man” march. | Zanu-PF supporters, many of them young and waving national flags, arrived in Harare from across the country by bus, train and truck to attend what organisers had dubbed a “million man” march. |
| “Comrade Mugabe is not sick, people lie,” supporters sang in one song defending the 92-year-old president, who has been the subject of regular rumours about his alleged ill health. | “Comrade Mugabe is not sick, people lie,” supporters sang in one song defending the 92-year-old president, who has been the subject of regular rumours about his alleged ill health. |
| “Forward with president Mugabe,” others chanted, as they carried placards carrying messages such as “Youths march in solidarity with the visionary and iconic leadership of President Robert Mugabe.” | “Forward with president Mugabe,” others chanted, as they carried placards carrying messages such as “Youths march in solidarity with the visionary and iconic leadership of President Robert Mugabe.” |
| Police in anti-riot gear surrounded the speech venue, searching people while heavy security patrols were on the streets of Harare in vehicles and on horseback. | Police in anti-riot gear surrounded the speech venue, searching people while heavy security patrols were on the streets of Harare in vehicles and on horseback. |
| How much of hundreds and thousands of $s spent on this could have gone to paying long-suffering unpaid civil servants? #MillionManMarch | How much of hundreds and thousands of $s spent on this could have gone to paying long-suffering unpaid civil servants? #MillionManMarch |
| Last month, thousands of supporters of the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party attended the biggest public protest in nearly a decade calling on Mugabe to step down. | Last month, thousands of supporters of the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party attended the biggest public protest in nearly a decade calling on Mugabe to step down. |
| Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, has vowed to stand again as president in elections due in 2018. | Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, has vowed to stand again as president in elections due in 2018. |
| His decades in office have been marked by economic decline, repression of dissent, vote-rigging and mass unemployment and emigration. | His decades in office have been marked by economic decline, repression of dissent, vote-rigging and mass unemployment and emigration. |
| The Zanu-PF party has been divided between rival factions jostling to succeed Mugabe, who has avoided naming a successor. Despite signs of ageing, he still appears regularly in public, walking unaided and giving long speeches that often blame the west for Zimbabwe’s troubles. | The Zanu-PF party has been divided between rival factions jostling to succeed Mugabe, who has avoided naming a successor. Despite signs of ageing, he still appears regularly in public, walking unaided and giving long speeches that often blame the west for Zimbabwe’s troubles. |
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