President Robert Mugabe is “as strong as an iron bar”, Zimbabwe’s First Lady Grace Mugabe has said, as she attempted to brush off reports that her 93-year-old husband is increasingly becoming frail.

Grace said this on Tuesday while consoling the family of a revolutionary musician Dickson “Chinx” Chingaira, who died in Harare on Friday.

Grace told mourners that Mugabe’s health was not failing.

“He (president Mugabe) is very strong, just like an iron bar. He can still walk on his two legs and we thank God for giving him the gift of life,” said the First Lady.

The veteran leader has in recent years made numerous visits to Singapore for medical attention.

Zimbabwean authorities have kept his health condition under wraps amid calls by the opposition for him to step down from power to pave way for fresh blood.

For his part, Mugabe told his supporters recently that he would continue as president of the southern African country “as long as I am still sane”.