By Farai D Hove| The state media has made claims that President Emmerson Mnangagwa ate ice-cream deliberately laced with poison, during the events that eventually led to Robert Mugabe’s removal last year.

The claims have however been dismissed by the president himself. Health Minister, Dr. David Parirenyatwa says Mnangagwa suffered from gastroentitis, while the man himself says he never ate ice cream.

But the state broadsheet says Mnangagwa was poisoned.

The report says in part: the Head of State and Government survived hanging — on an age technicality — by the Rhodesian regime after his death sentence was commuted to 10 years in jail for bombing a locomotive at Masvingo Railway Station in 1965. His colleague in the locomotive bombing, Cde Matthew Malowa, was executed.

President Mnangagwa was to skip the border in November last year to South Africa via Mozambique when his life appeared to be in danger from G40 cabalists who were reportedly baying for his head following his dismissal from Government on spurious charges.

He also survived poisoning after eating ice cream laced with poison at a Zanu-PF Youth Interface rally in Gwanda last August.