Zimbabwe: Mugabe rubbishes new party on state TV

Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe says the ruling ZANU-PF party remains strong despite the launch of a new political party Tuesday by former Vice-president Joice Mujuru.

“Some people think that we are afraid of them. We are not afraid,” he said on Thursday evening, during a two-hour interview on state television.

President Mugabe has promised to expel all disloyal members of his party.

“The party will always have negative elements. Those we feel are troublesome, we chuck them out,” Mugabe said.

He also gave reassurance about the state of his health by indicating that he will like to live up to a hundred years.

“I still exercise to keep alive, to resurrect when people say I am dead. Every January I must prepare the necessary exercise to resurrect,” he said.

“I did not go into the 2013 election for someone else to complete my term which ends in 2018.”

Mugabe, 92, has been president since the country gained independence from Britain and hopes to complete his mandate.

His regime has been accused of vote-rigging, mass emigration, human rights abuses and economic failure.