'Going to polls with Mugabe, 94, as our candidate would have been a shame,' says Zim minister

Harare – Zimbabwe's finance minister Patrick Chinamasa has reportedly said that it would have been "a crying shame" if Zanu-PF had gone to elections this year with 94-year-old Robert Mugabe as its presidential candidate. 

At its congress in 2016, the ruling party endorsed the nonagenarian as its candidate for the 2018 election. This would have extend his 37 years in office.

Mugabe was endorsed by all Zanu-PF party structures in Masvingo.

But, according to New Zimbabwe.com, Chinamasa, who is also the ruling party's finance secretary, told party supporters in Mutare recently that the party was now "in a better position" after it moved against Mugabe last year.

Mugabe stepped down from power following a military intervention that targeted "criminals around him" in November.

"We are in in a better position now as the party. It was a shame for the party to go to elections with a 94-year-old leader as our candidate," Chinamasa was quoted as saying.

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