Harare, Sep 6 (TIWN) Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe's first post-independence leader, died on Friday at the age of 95, the country's incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced.

"Mugabe was an icon of liberation, a pan-Africanist who dedicated his life to the emancipation and empowerment of his people. His contribution to the history of our nation and continent will never be forgotten.  "May his soul rest in eternal peace," he added.  He was hospitalised in Singapore for months for an undisclosed ailment, Mnangagwa had confirmed earlier this year.  Officials often said he was being treated for a cataract, denying frequent private media reports that he had prostate cancer.   No further details were immediately available about the circumstances of his death or where he died.  Mugabe was forced to step down by the military in November 2017 following nationwide mass protests.