Mugabe says pension was US$467k, not US$10m – report

Robert Mugabe, the former president of Zimbabwe, said his pension payout should have added up to a total of US$467 000 and not the US$10 million being talked about, News24 reports.

The former president, who was ousted after intervention by the military last year, said after his resignation he enquired at the pension office how much he was entitled to.

Mugabe was speaking ahead of the country’s Monday election, which will see his successor, Zanu-PF presidential candidate Emmerson Mnangagwa, run against opposition MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa, whom Mugabe has endorsed.

According to the report, Mugabe’s wife, Grace, said the pension payout was not in American dollars.

The former Zimbabwean president said his pension package included two houses, one of them being at a resort.

Mugabe said those in power in the country had refused to give him money for two houses.

The infamous Mugabe residence, commonly known as the Blue Roof, had been paid off in instalments, Mugabe said.

According to the former president, the roof of the house, however, was starting to sag, hence he was in need of money to move out.

Meanwhile, the Zimbabwean polls open on Monday at 7am and close at 7pm. Some 10 000 polling booths across the country will be monitored by 71 000 policemen and scores of foreign observers.

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