President Robert Mugabe's guards 'sacked' for allowing him to trip on red carpet
The 90-year-old leader ordered journalists to delete photos
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Nearly 30 bodyguards to Robert Mugabe have reportedly lost their jobs after "allowing" him to fall over on a red carpet in public.
The President of Zimbabwe, 90, handed suspension letters to around 27 of his security staff on Friday as he believes they did not act fast enough to break his fall, which led him to be photographed on his hands and knees – Zimbabwean paper Standard reports.
The security staff had seemingly already been replaced by the time the president met with newly-elected Zambian leader Edgar Lungu later that day, the paper reported.
Photographers were also ordered to delete images of the moment Mugabe appeared to have missed a step while walking down a podium at an airport, according to Associated Press.
“That should never happen. What if someone pulled a gun? The immediate proximity team should have helped him up because those are the people that are allowed to touch him before anyone else.”
Mugabe, who will be 91 on 21 February, was travelling back to Zimbabwe from Ethiopia that day after he was assigned the role of chairperson of the African Union.
The president – who led a revolution against white-minority rule – has been accused of allowing his supporters to use violence as an election strategy, according to human rights groups.
The country abandoned its hyper-inflated currency for the US dollar in 2009.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments