Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's spokesman, George Charamba has come to defend the accuse that the president fall asleep at public events.

Charamba explained that the 93-year-old is not sleeping, but is only protecting his aged eyes from bright lights.

According to the state-owned Herald newspaper said that President Mugabe travels regularly to Singapore to receive specialised treatment for an eye condition.

He said: “I feel like a failure when there is this reading that the President is sleeping in conferences. No. At 93, there is something that happens to the eyes and the president cannot suffer bright lights. If you look at his poise, he looks down, avoids direct lighting.”

He added that Mugabe left the country on Monday for his routine medical checkup in Singapore and he will be back on Saturday for the burial of former Zimbabwean Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku.

He compared him with the late president of South Africa , Mandela who would not allow a flash light anytime he was in the room as a way of shielding his sight.

He said: "in the case of Mandela, if you remember, you were not allowed to even use flashes whenever he was in the room. This is what happens at 93 and Mandela, I do not think lived as long as the president.”