Robert Mugabe’s government on Friday claimed that the ageing leader had been joking when he said there was “no cholera” in Zimbabwe, despite the continuing epidemic.

On Thursday, Mr Mugabe, 84, told mourners at the funeral of his close ally Elliot Manyika that the disease had been “arrested” and that there was “no cholera” in Zimbabwe. Amid growing calls for his departure, he said: “Now that there is no cholera, there is no need for war.”

But on Friday, the state-controlled Herald newspaper reported that the president’s cholera denial was “sarcasm”.

George Charamba, a spokesman for the Zimbabwean leader, tried to backtrack, saying that Mr Mugabe had been making his argument “through sarcasm, noting that now that efforts deployed so far towards containing the outbreak were beginning to yield positive results”.

Mr Charamba denounced the Western media, saying they “have chosen a path of wilful distortion of a clear statement and argument by the Zimbabwean president, in order to advance the war and regime change agenda of their expansionist governments”.

But the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, whose power- sharing agreement with the ZANU PF party is at an impasse, said Mr Mugabe was in “denial mode”.

“Such careless and reckless statements have not helped the situation,” said its health secretary, Henry Madzorera. “The people of Zimbabwe know that the epidemic is still with us and is spreading fast across all major cities and towns.”

Mr Mugabe has presided over the decline of his country from a once prosperous nation to one where millions of people need food aid, hyperinflation is rampant, and cholera has killed around 800 people at a minimum.

Neighbouring South Africa is feeling the effects ever more, with a border district declared a disaster area, but Pretoria is still focusing on pushing the unity government, despite doubts over its structure.

Nonetheless, the Anglican bishop of the capital city today added his voice to the demands for Mr Mugabe to go.

“He must be removed by all means necessary, to stop the further suffering of God’s children and save lives in that country,” Joe Seoka told South Africa’s Times newspaper.

“Mugabe must be viewed as the 21st century Hitler because of the deaths and suffering of Zimbabweans under his rule.”

(Source)