20110410
Zimbabwe Standard

Harare — PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe again left the country for Singapore on Friday evening amid revelations that it is actually the First Lady Grace Mugabe who is this time seeking treatment in the Asian country for a serious ailment.

Mugabe has been frequenting Singapore since his annual leave in January and his spokesman George Charamba last month clai-med he was going for a review after undergoing an operation to remove a cataract in his eye.

But impeccable sources have since told The Standard that Grace Mugabe slipped and fell in the bathroom at their Borrowdale house and is suspected to have suffered a dislocated hip.

She has reportedly not recovered from the injury and could be seriously ill.

Charamba yesterday confirmed that the First Family was in Singapore but said he did not know the purpose of their visit as he was in Kadoma when they flew out of the country.

Mugabe's trips to Singapore are said to have gobbled US$12 million from the public purse.

Charamba, however, hinted that the First Lady is battling illness.

He disclosed that she has not fully recovered from a complication she suffered while giving birth to her last-born son Chatunga 14 years ago adding he was not aware of the hip dislocation.

"I would not be privy to that kind of information," Charamba said.

"I have not heard about it. However what I know is that the First Lady, after the birth of Chatunga, developed some slight discomfort with her back but that was a long time ago."

Charamba also confirm-ed that the President had gone to Singapore but said it was not an "official visit." But the fact that the presidential spokesman was not briefed about the trip hints to the fact that it was an emergency.

Charamba said there were two possibilities why Mugabe went to Singapore.

"It could be that they went to visit their daughter (Bona) who is on attachment in China, because they usually meet up in Singapore but then maybe there is something else," Charamba said. "However it cannot be anything serious. Usually, if I am in Harare, I will go and see him off at the airport and I would be briefed on the reason on why he is travelling but I am in Kadoma attending a Zimbabwe Media Commission conference."

As usual Mugabe and his wife took an Air Zimbabwe plane and striking pilots had to be recalled to fly them. Air Zimbabwe board chairman Jonathan Kadzura justified the move yesterday saying the flight was not a commercial one but the pilots were on "national duty."

"There is a difference of going on strike for commercial flights and flying on national duty," he said. "You can't say no to national duty because yesterday's flight wasn't a commercial one."

Grace Mugabe has not been seen in public in a long time, further fuelling speculation about her health.

However, the speculation had mainly centred on her 87-year-old husband who was driven in a golf cart during the Southern African Development Community troika summit in Livingstone, Zambia recently.

Mugabe was seen struggling with his step. There have even been reports that he is suffering from prostate cancer.