Bona was never raped, still a virgin: Grace Mugabe

By Staff Reporter

HARARE – Zimbabwe’s First Lady Grace Mugabe has for the first time publicly dismissed as lies online reports in 2010 alleging that her daughter Bona had been raped in Singapore after a student party.

According to the reports Bona Mugabe filed rape charges against two Tanzanian students studying in Singapore at the time. The two students who were put under police investigation however insisted that she had consensual sex with them.

The reports claimed that Bona who studied under the name Tracy Guvamombe alleged that she was a victim of drink spiking and rape at a student party held in the upmarket Faber Park neighbourhood.

One of the accused was identified as the 27 year old son of a Tanzanian business tycoon. The suspects allegedly invited Bona to the lavish party and plied her with spiked wines and went on to have sex with her in one of the bedrooms.

Its alleged the pairs luck ran out when Bona suddenly woke up only to find one of the suspects grovelling on top of her. She is said to have screamed alerting other guests who rushed in to her aide. The suspects fled but were later apprehended by the local police.

Grace Mugabe used a women’s conference in Harare on Saturday to address this issue while speaking about her daughter’s marriage to Emirates pilot, Simba Chikore. A traditional marriage ceremony in August at the family’s Zvimba rural home saw Chikore paying US$35,000 in bride price.

“Way back, I asked my daughter whether she had a boyfriend since she was growing up the same way I did, a shy person and reserved, and she said there was someone,” said Grace Mugabe.

“I called (Zimbabwe Assemblies of God Africa, ZAOGA, pastor) Mai Eunah Guti to ask about the boyfriend and her response was – “if that boy becomes your son-in-law, you will be delighted”.

“I also spoke to Baba Ezekiel Guti, and he again echoed the same sentiments. They (Bona and Simba) developed a relationship and I told my daughter I am going to bring you up the traditional way.

“Do not ever let that boy touch your breast or your body you must have the honour to get married when you are still a virgin. She has listened to me and I spoke to Simba and I told him that I want my daughter to get married when she is still a virgin and he respects that.”

“There were reports that my daughter was raped … nothing of that sort ever happened. She is a virgin,” she said.

And addressing her daughter who was in the crowd directly the First Lady added: “You make me proud and I am a proud mother.

“We all know that it is difficult to raise daughters especially if you are coming from the kind of family she is coming from where in some instances parents have a tendency of over spoiling children, whatever they ask for they are given without questioning.

“I take time to talk to her constantly and teach her about life because in the past we used to rely on our aunties but the times are changing and we have to do the job ourselves as mothers.”

Mugabe praised her daughter whom she described as a good example of how young women should conduct themselves in the community. She challenged other parents to bring up their children the traditional way in order to reduce their chances of indulging in sex before marriage.

Calling on all parents to follow suit, Mugabe said she had impressed it upon her daughter during their discussions to respect her body and honour her future husband by giving him a gift of purity.

“I was not shy to tell her that she was not supposed to allow any man to touch her body in an inappropriate way. I am happy she complied,” she said.