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In Pictures
Gallery
In pictures: Mugabe’s birthday bash
Zimbabwe’s president celebrated his 89th birthday on Saturday at a lavish gala attended by thousands.
Zimbabwe(***)s president, Robert Mugabe, released balloons into the air during celebrations to mark his 89th birthday.
By
Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi
Published On 3 Mar 2013
3 Mar 2013
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His birthday celebration was held in Bindura, 90 kilometres north of the capital Harare.
More than 15,000 supporters thronged a stadium to join in the birthday celebrations.
Mugabe, left, enjoyed some ice cream with his wife Grace.
Mugabe(***)s wife Grace, centre, with her children Bona, right, and Chatunga.
Police officers kept a close watch over the birthday celebrations.
Mugabe was first elected president in 1980, after Zimbabwe(***)s rule by its white minority came to an end and the country officially gained its independence from the United Kingdom.
Mugabe greets supporters during the celebrations.
During the 1960s Mugabe was the secretary general of the Zimbabwe African National Union, a nationalist party fighting the rule of the country(***)s white minority. Today, the Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front is Zimbabwe(***)s ruling party.
Mugabe spent more than 10 years in jail as a political prisoner during the 1960s and 70s.
A supporter of Mugabe performs during the festivities.
In the past decade, Mugabe has embarked on a controversial programme seizing and redistributing land from white farmers, who had historically owned much of the country(***)s fertile land.