Mugabe throws lavish 92nd birthday

(CNN)Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe celebrated his 92nd birthday with a lavish celebration Saturday, in a region of his country that is experiencing widespread drought and food shortages affecting 2.5 million of his people.


This year's festivities included concerts, parades and parties in his honor, and reportedly cost $800,000.

Just a few weeks prior, Mugabe declared a "state of disaster" in several rural areas affected by a drought.

"Initial indications were that 1.5 million people were food-insecure with all the 60 rural districts being affected," Public Works Minister, Saviour Kasukuwere, said in a statement in early February. "Overall, the food-insecure population has since risen to 2.44 million -- 26% of the population."

Over 72% of the country live in poverty, with over a fifth of the population in extreme poverty, according to the World Bank.
Source:CNN