Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe has vowed to stand for election yet again after the country’s ruling party confirmed they will endorse him at their annual conference.
Ignatius Chombo, administration secretary of the ZANU-PF, said Mugabe’s “wisdom and unity” is the main reason behind their decision to endorse him at the party conference this week.
Mugabe, who turns 93 in February, has ruled the African country for more than 36 years and won his most recent election in 2013, despite irregularities with the voting procedure.
Zimbabwe has been in the midst of economic turmoil for a number of years and there have been occasional protests against Mugabe’s leadership.
The long-time leader used a speech to the ZANU-PF Central Committee to blast what he described as ‘dirty politics’.
He said: “There is nothing wrong in expressing an ambition, an aspiration, aspiring for position in leadership or for any other higher post in the party.
“But I have, however, frowned upon shameless and unbridled ambition, which seeks to ride roughshod over others.”
He added: “The tradition of our party is never one of bickering over party positions.”
His comments come as the ruling party try to decide who will take over as Zimbabwe’s leader when Mugabe dies.
The decision to endorse Mugabe suggests the party is not ready to choose a new leader just yet, and while he has said he is open to retirement if the party asks him, he has also previously claimed he wants to rule until he dies.
