Mugabe's secret to long life

President Robert Mugabe claims he is physically fit and is in a healthy state due to constant medical check-ups, vigorous daily exercises and a balanced diet.

Mugabe's ailments include periodic convulsions and stroke like episodes (perhaps eschemia) brought on by diabetes and a lipid disorder which affects the covering of the brain

According to reports in addition to prostate cancer Mugabe's ailments include periodic convulsions and stroke like episodes (perhaps eschemia) brought on by diabetes and a lipid disorder which affects the covering of the brain

Addressing members of his central committee on Saturday at the Zanu PF headquarters, Mugabe encouraged his party members to regularly consult doctors about their health. In his closing remarks to the central committee, the octogenarian revealed the secret to his long life.

"People should go to the doctors and have medical check-ups constantly maybe every month but not more than six months, as you must have checked up on your blood pressure, heart condition etc," Mugabe said.

"Kufa kunofiwa asi zvimwe zvirwere zvinogona kudzivirirwa (Yes, there is death, but some diseases can be prevented) if you have constant medical check-ups. You can ask Dr (David) Parirenyatyatwa (former minister of Health and Child Welfare), he can confirm it.

"Inini (Me), I get up at 5 O'clock in the morning and I do some exercises and I also go to the doctor for medical check-ups. Let's have medical check-ups. The flesh and muscle might be weak because of age and if you allow yourself to be lazy unotochembera (you will get old)," said Mugabe.

Turning to his favourite diet, he said "Kudya, (Eating) doctors say stop eating protein and don't eat meat but it is our tradition of eating a lot of meat but you end up having gout on the legs.

"Asi kana wakura unenge wave kudya magreen vegetables inenge yave diet yako, nokuti nyama takadya yakanyanya, mazibonzo, makuru pataikura. Ndihwo hupenyu hwatinofanira kurarama, nokuti iadvice yemadoctors.

(When you get old, you resort to vegetables, that will be your diet. We ate a lot of meat, bones, tripe when we were growing up.)

"Thats how we should live because that is what the doctors advise),"said Mugabe.

Mugabe, 89, has frequented the Far East for medical check-ups in recent years. Earlier in his speech, Mugabe complained that he was hogging the limelight in newspaper headlines.

"I can claim that I run a section of the press, they are Mugabe's papers as they carry headlines everyday about Mugabe," the veteran ruler said.

"I have to start claiming my own remuneration from them because they are making money using my name. They are talking rubbish using my name. We should not give ground for our detractors to use tactics to destroy the image of the party by peddling falsehoods about us in order to sell their little papers."