President Robert Mugabe’s birthday on February 21 has been declared a national holiday, by the governments, a state daily reported Saturday.

The declaration, is a way of honouring the veteran politician who has been in power since 1980 and has on several occasions been accused by his opponents of brutal repression and devastating the economy.

“In declaring this day, we would like to highlight to our youths the values and principles so brilliantly displayed by President R.G. Mugabe which have resulted in an exemplary life that our youths can emulate,” state-owned Herald newspaper quoted home affairs minister Ignatius Chombo as saying.

Mugabe, now 93 years old, first came to power after Zimbabwe’s independence from Britain. He says he plans to contest elections due next year despite his advanced age and concerns over his frail health.

Zimbabwe’s economy has been run down, with output halved since 2000, while many basic services

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