Msika admitted to SA heart clinic

Msika admitted to SA heart clinic

• Msika reportedly suffers stroke

• Msika's fury at sleeping pills revelation

• Msika won't give in to 'immoral little boys'

• Msika warns Chiyangwa

• Zanu PF bids to oust Msika

By Staff Reporter

ZIMBABWE'S Vice President Joseph Msika is "gravely ill" in a South African hospital, sources have told New Zimbabwe.com.

Msika, 83 this year, has been admitted at Cape Town's famous Groote Schuur, the first hospital in the world to conduct a heart transplant.

Hospital authorities refused to confirm if Msika was their patient on Friday, citing patient confidentiality.

But a source at the hospital said Msika was admitted last week.

"He is gravely ill and indications are that it's a heart problem," said a nurse at the hospital.

Msika has recently told some of his colleagues in Zimbabwe that he intends to step down before the next Presidential elections in 2008.

Msika's public appearences have been drastically reduced in recent months due to ill health. Government ministers have been reading his speeches at State functions.

Late last year, Msika cancelled an interview with the online radio station Afro Sounds FM, following a security etiquette clanger by a bodyguard who -- unaware he was live on air -- said Msika had taken sleeping pills and could not talk.

The station had earlier called Msika who had agreed to do an interview for the Zimbabwe Today programme hosted by Ezra Sibanda.

However, when Sibanda rang Msika's house, a bodyguard said the Vice President was unable to come to the phone "because he has taken some sleeping pills".

The stunning disclosure by the body guard was heard live by the station's world-wide audience.
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