President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s statement on the state of health of his predecessor Robert Mugabe’s has created speculation over his actual condition with some senior government officials saying the people must brace for the worst, Bulawayo24 reports.

In his statement on Tuesday, Mnangagwa said Mugabe, who has been admitted in a hospital in Singapore since April, was making a steady recovery.

However, it is Mnangwagwa’s revelation that he sent a delegation comprising of his chief secretary Misheck Sibanda, Zimbabwe spy boss Isaac Moyo and other government officials to see Mugabe in Singapore that has set tongues wagging.

“The sending of a delegation of that nature is a signal that something is really wrong. There are fears that Mugabe is in the brink and things could turn out for the worst in no time,” a government official told Bulawayo24.

“There is a strong feeling that Mnangagwa, through his statement was actually preparing Zimbabweans for the worst so we wait and see how Mugabe’s health issue unfolds going forward.”

Mugabe was ousted through a military coup in November 2017 and was replaced by Mnangagwa.

Bitter about his removal from power, Mugabe in the run up to the 2018 elections, publicly backed MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa who lost the polls to Mnangagwa in what the opposition leader insists was a stolen election.