President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe marked his 91st birthday by speaking for more than an hour on his feet Saturday, delivering a characteristically defiant speech in which he threatened to take over land and animal sanctuaries still in the hands of whites.
His robust performance seemed designed to dispel any speculation. Thousands of people packed the grounds of a hotel to praise the man who has led Zimbabwe since independence in 1980.
Mugabe said a recent audit showed whites still control vast tracts of land despite an often violent program that saw thousands of white farmers evicted to make way for blacks. He said he will only allow whites to own animal sanctuaries if the U.S. removes sanctions imposed on him. The West has long sparred with him over his rights record. - AP