PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012
PAGE 29
Mugabe celebrates 88th birthday with reptile shaped cake I
t was a birthday cake fit for Mugabe – a 5ft confectionary crocodile complete with icing and candles. As many of his povertystricken countrymen struggle to eke a living, Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, blew out the candles on one of five massive cakes at a £650,000 party for 20,000 supporters. In addition to the crocodile – representing the 88-year-old president’s tribe, the Gushungo, there was a matching silver version, an 88kg (195lb) cake in the shape of local mountains, another representing Victoria Falls, and a giant ice cream cake. Crowds from his Zanu-PF political party were treated to concerts, a football competition and beauty parade. But the lavish bash in the eastern city of Mutare infuriated many Zimbabweans, with the independent Standard newspaper carrying the headline ‘Eating cake while the nation starves’. The newspaper reported: ‘Impoverished North Koreans two weeks ago celebrated the birthday of their late leader Kim Jong-il in style. Nearer home in Mutare we had something similar yesterday when thousands gathered to celebrate President Robert
Mugabe’s 88th birthday. NOT A HAPPY DAY FOR ALL - AS MAN ARRESTED FOR MOCKING MUGABE A Zimbabwean man has appeared in court for joking in a bar about whether President Robert Mugabe was strong enough to blow up the balloons for his birthday party. Richmore Chazi was arrested while drinking with friends in a bar in Mutare while watching the live coverage of Mugabe’s birthday rally held in the eastern city on Saturday. Mugabe loyalists allegedly overheard the carpenter’s comments and reported him to poilce. His lawyer Blessing Nyamaropa confirmed: ‘Chazi is being charged for insulting and undermining the authority of the president and will come back to court on March 12 for routine remand. Zimbabwe police regularly arrest people who joke about Mugabe, who has ruled the country since independence from Britain in 1980. The Standard added: ‘Mugabe cut cake and his proteges wined and dined as if tomorrow would never come.’ The government-controlled Zimbabwe Broadcast Corporation Cake fit for a tyrant: Mugabe, 88, takes a look at the huge edible crocodile which was created for his birthday celebrations
'Party': As his people starve, the dictator stuffs cake into his mouth at a lavish bash to mark his 88th birthday attended by20,000 supporters
Party: Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe views his birthday cake during the rally at the weekend
reported: ‘The celebrations held in Mutare over the weekend saw some of the country’s top confectioners giving it their best to express their appreciation to the national icon, President Robert Mugabe, through wonderfully made cakes. ‘While the focus of attention was the man who had turned 88, there was no way one could have missed the five huge cakes that towered over the top table. Two of the cakes depicted Comrade Mugabe’s Gushungo totem, the crocodile. President Mugabe is seen in the picture blowing out candles on one of the “crocodiles”.’ ‘The third cake was a magnificent creation of the eastern highlands with its abundant mineral resources, the
Crocodile cake: The dictator admires the cake at his £650,000 party - and marked his birthday with an attack on homosexual rights
Birthday rest: Robert Mugabe sits in an arm chair wipes his eye on his birthday. In a rambling speech he attacked Western values
Pungwe River, human settlements as well as flora and fauna.’ ZBC reported that the highlands cake was designed to weigh exactly 88kg, giving Mugabe a full 1kg of pudding for every year of his life. In a country where many have faced hunger, ZBC reported that the large dessert included scaleddown edible recreations of the Zambezi river, the world-famous Victoria Falls railway bridge and a nearby rainforest. Around 20,000 members of the tyrant’s ruling Zanu-PF party are believed to have attended the celebrations on Saturday. The crowds were treated to live music, lavish food, a football competition and beauty pageant during the bash. Source: Dailymail.co.uk