Image copyright AFP Image caption Robert Mugabe's eyes are sensitive to bright lights, his spokesman said 
 
 Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe is not asleep when he closes his eyes for long periods during meetings but is resting his eyes, his spokesman says. He then compared Mr Mugabe to the anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, whose eyes were affected by years of working in a limestone quarry while imprisoned on Robben Island. “In the case of Mandela, if you remember, you were not allowed to even use flashes whenever he was in the room,” Charamba said. But Mugabe refutes the notion that his country is a fragile state, and refers to Zimbabwe as “one of the most highly developed countries in Africa.” 
 
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– Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has become well-known for appearing to sleep through conferences and meetings, but his spokesperson insists the 93-year-old is not actually asleep when he's pictured in repose. "At 93, there is something that happens to the eyes and the president cannot suffer bright lights," the rep explained to a local radio station, per Quartz. "If you look at his poise, he looks down, avoids direct lighting." The aide noted that Nelson Mandela suffered from a similar problem and that photographers were not allowed to use camera flashes around him. Quartz has a series of photographs showing Mugabe "not sleeping" that date back more than a decade. Per the BBC, Mugabe is reportedly getting medical treatment for his eyes in Singapore. (Mugabe's wife says he should still lead the country even after he's dead.)