Even a dead Mugabe could stand in Zimbabwe elections - wife

The wife of Zimbabwe's 92-year-old President, Robert Mugabe, has said that he is so popular that if he died, he 
could run as a corpse in next year's election and still win votes.

Grace Mugabe, 51, was addressing a rally of the
 governing Zanu- PF party.

Mr Mugabe has governed Zimbabwe since the end of 
white- majority rule in 1980 following a bitterly fought war.

His wife, who has often professed her undying loyalty 
to her husband, has assumed an increasingly high profile.

"One day when God decides that Mugabe dies, we will 
have his corpse appear as a candidate on the ballot
 paper," Mrs Mugabe told the rally in Buhera, south-east 
of the capital Harare.

"You will see people voting for Mugabe as a corpse.
 I am seriously telling you - just to show people how 
people love their president."

President Mugabe has been backed by his party to 
stand again in next year's election , but recently cut 
back on his public engagements.

Grace Mugabe has warned contemporaries of Mr 
Mugabe from the guerrilla war era that they are not in a position to replace him because they likewise would be 
too old.

"Anyone who was with Mugabe in 1980 has no right to 
tell him he is old. If you want Mugabe to go, then you leave together. You also have to leave. Then we take over 
because we were not there in 1980," she said, gesticulating towards herself.

Last September, the president was rumoured to have 
died after he reportedly cut short his attendance of an AU summit to fly to Dubai for a health check.

Mr Mugabe later joked about the rumours , saying he
 indeed died but was only resurrected.