Losing Robert Mugabe: Zimbabwe's 92-year-old leader disappears after New Delhi no-show

Conflicting reports have emerged on the whereabouts of Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe. The 92-year-old leader, Africa's oldest president, is believed to have left Zimbabwe on 7 March to attend the World Cultural Festival (WCF) in New Dehli, India.

At least one TV station in New Delhi reported that Mugabe arrived in India. However, Mugabe's name did not appear on the list of the guest speakers at the festival, according to the Zimbabwe Independent website, which quoted the leader's spokesperson, George Charamba, as saying the leader had cancelled his participation in the event due to security issues.

"The cancellation follows communication from the organisers of the festival acknowledging substantial inadequacies in protocol and security arrangement around the event," said Charamba.

The website further alleged that, contrary to official statements, Mugabe left from Zimbabwe's capital Harare on 7 March aboard Air Zimbabwe UM1 flight bound to Singapore's Changi Airport.

"Checks by the Zimbabwe Independent show that Mugabe is in Singapore, a place he frequents to get medical attention," the article read. "He was never in India. Mugabe, who turned 92 a fortnight ago, battles prostate cancer and eye problems.

Mugabe's former information minister Jonathan Moyo also claimed the leader did not arrive in India. "[Mugabe] did not cut short the visit in India. but cancelled the trip to India!"Moyo wrote on Twitter. "Not being in [Zimbabwe] does not mean he is or was in India!" the higher education minister said.

As the mystery around the leader's whereabouts intensified, Zimbabweans took to Twitter to wonder about their 'lost' leader using the hashtag #BringBackOurBob.