The ruling party's Youth League concluded a meeting Friday where they agreed that this year's celebrations were supposed to be unique in that it came in the backdrop of the passage of the despotic 17th constitutional amendment, "which has refined democracy and removed impediments to the land reform." Zanu PF Youth Affairs chief Absalom Skhosana told journalists a the end of the meeting: "We are looking forward to raising at least $10 billion for this year's event and everything is expected to move smoothly."

But observers said it was appalling for Mugabe to celebrate his birthday with fanfare in the midst of a deep political and economic crisis. University of Zimbabwe political scientist John Makumbe said: "It's a depressing situation. Things are collapsing around us. Everything which can go wrong has gone wrong but he is celebrating," Makumbe said. "Unemployment and poverty are rampant. Repression is worsening. Political temperatures are rising and the situation once again will soon reach boiling point."

One such victim of repression is the National Constitutional Assembly chairman, Lovemore Madhuku, who has repeatedly been brutally assaulted by armed police and left for dead. He said: "It is shocking that Mugabe plans to splash $10 billion on his birthday when the country is in flames. The situation is worsening," Madhuku told Zimdaily. "The brutality has become so obvious that it is now futile to deny it. Authoritarianism is being heightened."

Mugabe's birthday party, organised annually under the aegis of Zanu-PF's 21st February Movement, came as the situation in the country deteriorated.

Zimdaily understands that the official celebrations were planned for Mutare, but across the country there is still little or no cheer at all for ordinary Zimbabweans, with Mugabe showing no signs of mellowing with age. Zimdaily understands the birthday would be celebrated in grand style.

President Robert Mugabe cuts his birthday cake helped by his wife Grace, right, his daughter Bona, 2nd right, and his sons Robert Jnr, upper center, and Chatunga as he celebrates his 80th birthday at his rural home in Kutama, Zimbabwe Saturday Feb. 21, 2004.