By Political Reporter-President Emmerson Mnangagwa could be more Zambian than Zimbabwean, given the years he stayed in the neighbouring country.

Mnangagwa’s parents, Mafidi and Mhurai, fled Rhodesia in 1955 and settled in Zambia, where he (Mnangagwa) spent much of his early life.

His true age has become a source of intrigue, with fresh revelations suggesting that the Zimbabwean leader may not have been born in 1942, as he has long claimed.

State media today is flooded with congratulatory birthday messages celebrating Mnangagwa’s supposed 82nd birthday.

However, insiders allege that the president was actually born in 1938, making him 86 years old — four years older than his official age.

In a bid to curry favour, Zanu PF loyalists have been falling over themselves, sending effusive birthday wishes despite the cloud of doubt surrounding Mnangagwa’s real birth year.

The nationality and age controversies raise further questions about the credibility of his public image as political elites scramble to protect his legacy.