President Emmerson Mnangagwa made an official announcement on the state-owned television and ordered all flags to fly at half mast.
Tributes pour in from the global political establishment.
Mugabe reportedly “rejected an invitation from his successor President Emmerson Mnangagwa to attend this year’s Independence Day celebrations in Harare on Wednesday”.
Presidential spokesperson George Charamba said the veteran politician should be left alone as he needed to rest and had just recently returned from the Far East.
Mugabe is said to have returned from Singapore where he was receiving medical care few days ago.
Robert Gabriel Mugabe was the longest serving President of Zimbabwe, serving from 1987-2017.
As one of the leaders of the rebel groups in opposition to white minority rule, he was elected Prime Minister in 1980, serving in that office as head of the government, until 1987, when he became the country’s first executive head of state.
He had led the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF) since 1975.
His 37-year rule has been characterised by gross human rights violations, resulting in him joining the world list of dictators.
Mugabe rose to prominence in the 1960s as the leader of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) during the conflict against the conservative white-minority government of Rhodesia.
Robert Mugabe bowed to pressure and stood down as president of Zimbabwe in November 2017 to end his 37-year rule that began with the optimism of independence but took the country to the brink of economic collapse.
His resignation came as parliament was starting impeachment proceedings against him — six days after the military took over the country and placed the then 93-year-old head of state under house arrest.
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