The Zimbabwean government has dismissed false reports that President Robert Mugabe collapsed and suffered a heart attack while on leave in the Far East, The Herald has reported.<\/p>\n
The rumour mills ran wild on Wednesday following a Zim Eye report on the statesman’s declining health while vacationing with his family in Singapore.<\/p>\n
The report, written in the form of a letter from an unknown source, claimed that Mugabe had suffered a heart attack and was allegedly left in a critical condition.<\/p>\n
News of the president’s impending demise spread through social media like wildfire, with several international publications picking up the story.<\/p>\n
Presidential Spokesperson George Charamba dismissed the rumours, however, describing the eports as “mischievous” and confirming that Mugabe was, in fact, fit and well.<\/p>\n
According to a report by New Zimbabwe, Charamba accused Zim Eye of fabricating stories in order to make a profit. He also threatened to go after the website.<\/p>\n
The hoax followed a trend that has almost become an annual phenomenon, with the public speculating over Mugabe’s health every year around the time of his annual leave.<\/p>\n
Zim Eye has since exposed the alleged source of the letter, calling out ex-army captain Albert Matapo for sending through the report. The publication also alleged that Matapo was rumoured to have been working with Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa in plotting a coup in the country.<\/p>\n
Source – News24<\/a><\/p>\n