Mphoko takes over as acting President

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe, who is also the African Union chairman, left Harare Monday for the third India-Africa Forum Summit, and left Phelekezela Mphoko as the acting president in his absence.

Yesterday Mugabe was seen off at the Harare International Airport by co-vice Presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko, several cabinet ministers, service chiefs and other government officials.

Accompanying Mugabe are finance minister Patrick Chinamasa and small to medium scale enterprises minister, Sithembiso Nyoni.

The India-Africa summit comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to challenge China's dominance on Asia which is endowed with vast natural resources and has, according to experts, the world's fastest-growing population.

India also seeks to project its soft power and historical ties to Africa, "in contrast to China's focus on resource extraction and capital investment that has sparked a backlash in some countries against Beijing's mercantilist expansion," according to Reuters.

He is accompanied by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Patrick Chinamasa and the Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Co-operative Development, Sithembiso Nyoni.

Mugabe will be among the 40 heads of state and government invited to  attend the summit.

The veteran leader has come under attack from opponents for constantly flying abroad even as the government admits it has no money and the economy struggles to recover.

Mugabe is chairman of the African Union and the regional SADC grouping.