President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe on Saturday said he would not step down.
He insisted he was not dying.
The 93-year-old has ruled the country since they gained independence in 1980.
Mugabe’s health is a worrying concern for Zimbabweans, but he told tens of thousands of supporters at a rally in the town of Chinhoyi, in his home province, that doctors were recently surprised by his “strong bone system”.
“There is the issue that the president is going. I am not going,” he said.
“The president is dying. I am not dying. I will have an ailment here and there but bodywise, all my internal organs … very firm, very strong”, he added.
Mugabe had walked onto the stage slowly but without assistance.