I think we've heard this before...
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe plans to retire when his term ends in 2008 and has begun searching for a successor, a Kenyan newspaper reported Saturday. Mugabe has ruled the southern African nation since its independence from Britain in 1980.
| When his term ends in 2008 he's gonna be 148 years old... |
"I want to retire from politics. I have had enough," Mugabe was quoted as saying by Kenya's East African Standard newspaper. "I have not even completed this term, I have four more years and I am not so young." The 80-year-old Mugabe said he "would like to concentrate on writing after this term in office is over." Zimbabwe has been wracked by political violence and economic turmoil in recent years as Mugabe's government has seized thousands of white-owned farms for redistribution to blacks. Seeking to crack down on dissent, the government has arrested opposition leaders, trade unionists and independent journalists. However, Mugabe said problems in finding a successor have led to a power struggle in the top leadership of his ruling ZANU-PF party. "They are fighting and some are even going to consult with witch doctors," Mugabe said. |