Former Zimbabwe President Mugabe, 95, Hospitalized in Singapore

Former Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has been in hospital in Singapore for the past four months, his predecessor Emmerson Mnangagwa has divulged.

In a statement on Monday, President Mnangagwa said Mugabe has been undergoing medication for an undisclosed ailment in the Asian country and was responding positively to treatment.

"Founding president and founding father of our nation (comrade) Robert Mugabe remains detained at a hospital in Singapore where he is receiving medical attention,” Mnangagwa said.

"Unlike in the past when the former president would require just about a month for this, his physicians this time around determined that he be kept under observation for much longer from April this year when he left for his latest routine check-up."

Mnangagwa said he sent a delegation led by chief secretary to cabinet Misheck Sibanda to Singapore last week to check on the 95-year-old former president.

"I am greatly pleased to inform the nation that the former president continues to make steady progress towards eventual recovery and that his condition is remarkably stable for his age," Mnangagwa said.

“Because of the good progress he is making, Cde Mugabe could be released fairly soon. Once that happens, Government stands ready with appropriate and adequate arrangements for both his return and continued care and treatment here at home respectively, until he recovers fully.”

In November last year, Mnangagwa announced Mugabe was receiving treatment in Singapore and was unable to walk on his own due to old age.

"He (Mugabe) is now old. Of course, he now is unable to walk but whatever he asks for we will provide," Mnangagwa said at the time.

"We are looking after him. He is the founding father of the nation of Zimbabwe. He is our founding father of free Zimbabwe."

Mugabe was ousted from power in a bloodless military 'coup' in November 2017 after ruling the South African nation for 37 years.