BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe, (Reuters) – Zimbabwe’s President  Robert Mugabe celebrates his 86th birthday on Saturday with a  lavish party as the economy struggles to recover from crisis,  showing no sign of planning to retire after 30 years in power.

Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party will fete the veteran ruler, whose  birthday was actually on Feb. 21, with an all-night concert  among festivities which some critics estimate will cost  $500,000.

A power-sharing government set up by Mugabe and his bitter  rival Morgan Tsvangirai, now prime minister, has stabilised the  economy after the crisis which many Zimbabweans blame on  Mugabe’s policies. But aid agencies say over two million  Zimbabweans will still need food aid this year.

Government workers, who earn an average $160 per month, went  on strike this month to press for higher wages, while the  majority of the population lives below a $1 a day.

“Holding these huge celebrations, even as civil servants  strike for better wages, shows that the inclusive government has  done nothing to change the arrogance of ZANU-PF, which insists  on maintaining a personality cult around its leader, Mugabe, by  nationalising what should be a private affair,” said John  Makumbe, a veteran political commentator and Mugabe critic.