By Staff Reporter

FORMER president Robert Mugabe revealed Sunday that his Blue Roof private Harare residence is now a danger to his family, adding they have been advised to move out “before a calamity occurs”.

Addressing a press conference at the residency ahead of Monday’s general elections, the former Zanu PF leader experts had warned the family that the roof of the Chinese-style mansion was beginning to sage and would collapse in within two years.

Mugabe blamed the Serbian contractors for the problem and said the family needed to move out to facilitate renovations.

However, the government is apparently refusing to make available the two houses promised in his exit package.

“Now the roof is beginning to sage,” said the 94-year-old.

“We want to move out before a calamity occurs but still there is no communication (from the government). They won’t tell me if they have the money (for the two houses) or not.”

Former president Robert Mugabe and wife Grace in Harare Sunday

Mugabe has previously said the palace was a gift to him from the ruling Zanu PF party out of gratitude for leading the country to independence and then governing it since independence in 1980.

However, on Sunday the nonagenarian claimed to have paid for construction of the property from monthly savings until its completion.

“It’s a house that we wanted,” he said.

“We wanted a Chinese-style (property) to honour (Beijing) for assisting Zimbabwe in many ways.

“So, we started saving for it before construction resumed.”

The former strongman is now a virtual hermit in his palatial home following his ouster through a military coup last November.

On Sunday, he revealed that friends and relatives no longer visit due to harassment and intimidation by the government.