Mugabe: 'I want to rest'

Mugabe: 'I want to rest'

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By Staff Reporter

ZIMBABWEAN leader President Robert Mugabe will retire in 2008 at the age of 84, he told an Israeli journalist in an interview aired on British TV.

Mugabe, in power since Zimbabwe's independence from white minority rule in 1980 said he wanted to rest, and has previously indicated he intends to write his memoirs.

"I want to rest," Mugabe said. "Yes (it is my last term). I've no thought of changing my mind. I think I want to retire and the party will choose someone else. I'll be in the background, in the party, and remain in the party."

On a visit to Indonesia earlier this year, Mugabe said: "I have said it before that when my term ends, I will retire. I still have to do three years and we will look at that after the three years but it is my intention to retire.

"I will never groom a successor. We will never do that. We will never make that mistake. You get somebody going round saying ‘can’t you see he has come to my house, you see he is grooming me’.

"But one hopes in the meantime one or two will come forward and make the grade that the people will choose from.

"Of course, the leader will come from Zanu-PF. We are the party that defeated colonialism and the people realise that. The other party is Mr Blair’s (British Prime Minister) party and if you followed our election the objective was to bury Mr Blair."
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