Photo: Mugabe Falls Asleep At Meetings - Minister

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe sleeps at crucial meetings and has become a liability for the country, one of his ministers has said. Prof Welshman Ncube who leads of one of the two Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) formations said the 88-year-old leader slept at the recent Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit in Mozambique. The President had to be roused by Zambian President Michael Sata after he fell asleep a few minutes after the meeting that was meant to discuss the Zimbabwe crisis had began, the opposition politicians told party supporters. �If you are strong and young, you sleep in a dignified way but his whole body collapses when he sleeps". He added, �You sleep as early as 9 am to a point that you are woken up by an equally old Sata. Who would tell other leaders to wake Mugabe while he was sleeping? �Do you think that person can rule Zimbabwe? We need fresh leaders with strength who you do not have to look at and check if they are still awake.� Hospital visits There have been reports that President Mugabe is battling advanced prostate cancer and several other chronic ailments. In April there were even reports which were quickly discounted that he had died while receiving treatment at a Singapore hospital. Mugabe often scoffs at reports about his death, joking that he has resurrected more times than Jesus Christ. He has visited Singapore several times since last year but has said it was for an eye check-up after undergoing an operation in the Far East last January.