Accompanied by a village choir, waving fists and miniature ruling party flags, the crowd of several thousand thunders out four words in a constant refrain: "Long live comrade Mugabe." A poet punctuates his recital with long pauses before chanting a string of praises for Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe.
Zimbabwe is seeking to rush in maize imports from Southern African states, President Robert Mugabe told an election rally on Wednesday, saying the country faced an emergency. Concerns over widespread food shortages deepened after a government report on Tuesday showed Zimbabwe would fail to meet its targeted harvest this year.