Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on Monday scoffed at rumors spread in Harare that he died last week after a heart failure, local newspaper Herald reported on Tuesday.

Senior government officials who attended a briefing with the president and Vice Presidents Joseph Msika and Joyce Mujuru at Zimbabwe House on Monday was quoted as saying that Mugabe laughed off the rumors.

"I told the president that he is reportedly dead last week as a result of heart failure. He laughed and said 'when did I die and where?'" said Secretary for Information and Publicity George Charamba .

Charamba said Mujuru told the president that she had also heard that he died and phoned his residence only to be told that Mugabe and First Lady Grace Mugabe had gone to church.

Charamba said he received two calls on Monday from the South African media chasing the rumor of the president's supposed ill health.

"I had a briefing with the president. He is as fit as a teenager. He is in the best of health and is at work. Those doubting can check on Thursday when he addresses parliament," he said.

There are rumors in Harare that President Mugabe died last week of heart failure, and the rumors were being spread through short messages on cellphones.

Source: Xinhua