Mugabe Loyalists Angered by Nando's Advert

The restaurant chain Nando's has drawn the ire of a militant group over its latest advert.

Jimu Kunaka, head of the Zimbabwean youth group Chipangano, has called for Nando's to withdraw the ad, which makes fun of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, or face punitive action, state radio reports.

Filmed as a dream sequence, the tongue-in-cheek ad portrays the ageing Mugabe as the "last dictator standing" following the demise of other despots around the world. The 87-year-old autocrat is seen eating alone at a table and reminiscing about happier times with other tyrants.

Scenes include Mugabe engaging in a water fight with the late Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi, singing karaoke with China's Chairman Mao Tse-tung, frolicking in the sands with Iraq's Saddam Hussein and pushing apartheid-era South African President P.W. Botha on a swing.

Controversial Nando's Advert Features Mugabe, Gaddafi and Chairman Mao [VIDEO]

The campaign was produced by Nando's South Africa, which has a history of creating provocative and politically sensitive advertisements. Nando's Zimbabwe said it was not informed of the advertising campaign and is entirely independent of them.

Musekiwa Kumbula, corporate affairs director at Innscor Africa, holders of the Nando's franchise in Zimbabwe, said the group "strongly feels the advertisement is insensitive and in poor taste".

It is an offense under Zimbabwe law to insult Mugabe or to undermine the authority of his office.

The Chipangano group, which describes itself as a "brotherhood" of Mugabe loyalists, has demanded an apology to be made to the nation for the "negative portrayal" of their leader and called for a boycott of all Nando's restaurants in the country. The shadowy militia group has been accused by human rights activists of roaming Harare's impoverished townships in violent gangs that seize property and mete out punishment to those seen as supportive of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's former opposition party.

Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe with an iron fist since he led the country to independence in 1980. Western governments and rights groups say he has unleashed a decade of violence, anarchy, vote rigging and intimidation since seizing thousands of white-owned farms in 2000.