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President Mugabe is consoled by Presidential Affairs Minister Didymus Mutasa and other Cabinet ministers at the burial of his sister Bridget in Zvimba on Tuesday

Hildegarde The Arena
IT’S a tired fad now, too predictable and so pedestrian as well. There are some crazy elements out there who have been hell bent to ensure that they create an atmosphere of anxiety, instability and panic among the people of Zimbabwe.
In as many years, they have tried without success to give a macabre impression that every December and January, President Mugabe looks like he plans his vacation not to go and rest and have quality time with family and friends, but to go and fall ill, especially if he travels to Singapore and other Eastern countries.

Not just that, but that he plans his vacation to fall critically ill to the extent that those around him, including his security details and partners in Government, have a torrid time wondering about how they should inform the nation about the President’s health condition.

Year-in-year-out, the absurdity is replayed without a modicum of shame. The 2013/2014 vacation was no different.
The rumour mill was at it again as it made claims that President Mugabe’s vacation had to be cut short because of another critical illness.
As usual, they made it look like they had authoritative sources who had confirmed the lies they peddled.

However, to show that these were nothing but claims, none of them could say where he was receiving treatment.
Instead they claimed that the fact that the public media did not provide footage of the President’s return from his vacation was proof enough that they were hiding something, and that the President was, in fact, not well.

Some went as far as arguing that since the public media had used a file picture showing Acting President Joice Mujuru welcoming the President, this was nothing but a cover-up.

No amount of explanation from his spokesperson and Zanu-PF could quell the rumour mongering on social media, where others claimed that he was on his deathbed or dead.

They were also told off.
Why dignify these rumour mongers’ claims by issuing statements? If they knew that he was indeed dead as they claimed, why couldn’t they produce evidence?

The faceless sources could have buttressed their claims with tangible evidence like pictures of the hospital he was receiving treatment.
In this digital age, a lot of things are possible. If there was any grain of truth, arrivals of foreigners would have risen very sharply in the past fortnight.

Mainstream media – local and international – joined in the fray because anything about President Mugabe that gives them a fair advantage is worth losing ethical standards and professionalism over.

However, January 19 put an end to this. President Mugabe’s young sister, Bridget, passed on and the reports were like those of a Mugabe who had risen from the dead.

The Daily News, which had done an editorial at the weekend asking for more transparency regarding the President’s health condition, had a lead story on January 21, “Mugabe death rumour ends”, and an accompanying picture with the caption: “Alive and well: President Robert Mugabe”.

The Daily News report reads in part: “President Robert Mugabe appeared in public for the first time in several weeks yesterday to mourn the death of his sister, ending speculation that he may be bed-ridden, in declining health or even dead.”

Surprisingly, this report and others that regurgitated the story, do not say what it is that gave rise to the speculation.
Instead, his age and the succession issue in Zanu-PF are made antecedents to the claims. If there had been “endless speculation among Zimbabweans” regarding the President’s health as the Daily News claims this country would not be as stable as it is.

Indeed, there are challenges, but those outside of Zanu-PF that have always wanted to take charge would have used this as a perfect opportunity to embark on the Egypt-like revolution. So, the rumours are used to test the waters.

On January 20, Reuters also had a “Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe appears in public, ending death rumours” story. “Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe appeared in public for the first time in several weeks on Monday to mourn the death of his sister, ending speculation that he may be bed-ridden, in declining health or even dead … Mugabe, who has spent two weeks of his current bout of annual leave in Singapore, appeared at his official State House residence to accept condolences … Mugabe appeared downcast over his bereavement but showed no visible signs of ill health as he greeted senior party officials and spoke of his sister’s life.”

Benjamin Russell wrote in the Express (UK): “Robert Mugabe ends rumours of his death with public appearance to mourn sister” adding that “rumours have been circulating about his health for several weeks with some websites suggesting the veteran leader was seriously ill while others even said he had died”.

Where’s the catch in all this? Is there an unholy alliance between those who generate the rumours and those who peddle them? Who uses the rumours to best advantage? And why is the President’s alleged failing health placed in the same basket with his age, the duration he has been in power and his likely successor within Zanu-PF?

On September 15, 2010, thezimbabwemail.com quoted an alleged “senior Western diplomat” who fired the first warning shots about President Mugabe’s health claiming that it was on a “downward trajectory and the battle to succeed him is intensifying”.

The unnamed diplomat claimed they were privy to the President’s “medical information to support media rumours about his failing health”.

However, the President on several occasions has modestly told the people who wish him dead that when his time comes, he will indeed go, for no one can say no to the giver of life – God.

In an hour-long interview with Reuters, President Mugabe said he was surprised by these speculations which had become a perennial issue and he no longer paid serious attention to them: “I don’t know how many times I die but nobody has ever talked about my resurrection. I suppose they don’t want to, because it would be quite divine an achievement for an individual who is not divine. Jesus died once, and only resurrected once, and poor Mugabe several times. My time will come, but for now, ‘no’. I am still fit enough to fight the sanctions and knock out (my opponents)”.

And, on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday he proved that “poor Mugabe” who has “died several times” was “alive and well” to give his sister a well-deserved send-off.