Song and dance bellowed from the Blue Roof mansion in the usually quiet upmarket Borrowdale suburb, as hundreds of invited guests on Saturday attended the 95th birthday celebration for former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.
The private ceremony, themed “A Living Legend,” was held at Mugabe’s lavish Harare home, the Sunday Times reported.
Mugabe’s children organized the birthday party, which was strictly by invite. The adults-only function had a black and gold dress code.
Guests were served an array of local and foreign delicacies by chefs hired for the event. The menu included sirloin, pig on the spit, grilled chicken and salads, along with a range of desserts.
The party, which kicked off at 2 p.m., reportedly went on late into the night.
Notable among the guests was Gideon Gono, the former central bank governor and the Mugabe’s personal banker.
Family members, including wife Grace, wished the 95-year-old Mugabe a long life.
During a short speech at the event, Grace said she would stand by her husband until the very end.
Mugabe, meanwhile, criticized the heavy-handedness of the country’s military against citizens under President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
“Some people think that being a leader means killing people and beating people, but that is not the way,” Mugabe said. “Even the fallen heroes would not approve of that.
“We are hearing there are graves that have been created by the army when they kill people,” he said. “It is not the task of the army to lead the people with guns. Let us not be killers of our own people.”