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Late Vice President John Landa Nkomo.

President Mugabe has expressed shock at the death of Vice President Nkomo.

Announcing the death at State House, President Mugabe who is also the Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces President Mugabe said Vice President Nkomo who has been battling with cancer in the past few years passed on at St Anne's Hospital this morning.

"The moments we are in a sad moments, we have lost our Vice President John Landa Nkomo.

"He was suffering for a long time from cancer and all of a sudden we heard the situation had deteriorated yesterday.

"He was taken to St Annes Hospital and he passed on sometime this morning. I would like to express on behalf of Government, our party Zanu-PF, my own self, Cabinet, our sincerest condolences to his family, to his dear old mother, relatives and his friends," President Mugabe.

Meanwhile, the United States has also expressed its condolences to the family and the people of Zimbabwe on the death of VP Nkomo.

It said Vice President Nkomo was a patriot who dedicated his life to Zimbabwe's sovereignty and prosperity, whether as a teacher, a politician, an advocate for Zimbabwe's independence, or as a public servant,

"As a leader of PF ZAPU and ZANU-PF, Mr. Nkomo played an important role in shaping the course of Zimbabwean history. May he rest in peace," the embassy said.