Mugabe Has Huge Party To Mark 89th Birthday

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has held a lavish celebration to mark his 89th birthday, treating thousands of supporters to a feast of music, food and poetry singing his praise.

Mugabe cut an 89kg (40 pound) cake - one of many presented to him - and released 89 balloons into the sky during the event at a stadium in the northeastern mining town of Bindura.

Africa's oldest leader turned 89 on February 21.

The nation's central bank governor donated 89 cows to the president, who sported a bright red cap with his year of birth - 1924 - in green numbers,

Mugabe walked around and waved at the crowd of about 10,000 people, flanked by his wife Grace and two children.

He showed no sign of fatigue as he delivered an hour-long speech packed with his trademark anti-Western rhetoric and promises his ZANU-PF party would win an upcoming election.

"Forward with winning elections, down with imperialism," said Mugabe.

He has ruled the southern African nation since independence in 1980, and last year accepted his party's nomination to run for re-election.

Mugabe militants and loyalist security services are blamed for human rights abuses and vote rigging in previous elections over the past decade.

About 1.5 million Zimbabweans rely on food aid in the troubled economy.

Officials of Mugabe's party reportedly collected donations of $600,000 (£400,000) for the occasion.

Parliamentary and presidential elections are scheduled later this year, possibly around July. The last elections in the country, held in 2008, were marred by violence.