THE WORLD TODAY

Mugabe meets King of Pop in leaked footage

PREVIOUSLY unseen footage showing Michael Jackson fraternising with former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe two decades ago has been leaked to the public.

The video, shot in the State House in Harare, shows the late singer meeting Mugabe and his wife Grace during a highly secret trip to the African country in 1998.

It was released to a member of the public by a former member of the Zimbabwean State Security.

Mugabe is seen warmly greeting the King of Pop as he stepped out of a red BMW.

Jackson then cordially kisses Grace’s hand, before being led inside the compound.

The controversial meeting was set up in order for Jackson to discuss ideas for the development of a hotel in Victoria Falls, a scenic region in the country.

In the film, Mugabe says: “They would want to see if Zimbabwe, and especially the Victoria Falls, qualifies for a hotel, they want to establish a whole chain of hotels across the world, I suppose it’s a

Michael Jackson chain. And they say they have uplifted Las Vegas and they want to see if they can uplift the Vic Falls as well.

“So they are going to look at that ... they think we have a good chance. But they didn’t make any firm promises.

“We are very receptive, after all Michael Jackson is a favourite of all youngsters, my boy sings

Michael Jackson, he wants to be like Michael Jackson. Every young boy wants to be like Michael Jackson. If that can bring us also his hotels and his capital here we would be grateful, extremely grateful for it.”

The source who leaked the footage said: “The hotel was never built, so the footage was never released.”