GraceGate: Much ado about nothing

By Itai Dzamara

It is growing into another gate, a scandal or very prominent saga, because of Zimbabweans’ penchant for cheap excitement and hullabaloo. But, Grace Mugabe’s symbolic entry into politics is really just much ado about nothing. 

I say ‘symbolic’ because, Grace has always been there, since the day she walked down the aisle with Robert Mugabe. She has really, and practically been everything of the stereotype that political power of the nature that Zanu PF has entrenched is. Grace has always enjoyed the liberty of being the reflection of her brutal and cunning husband, indeed.

She is one of the rich barons in a poor country, thanks to the power she has utilised to maximum effect – and even many times more than those that have been in the political position she is moving to claim in the Zanu PF Women’s League. Her son, Russell Gorerazo, is certainly a young rich baron in the motherland, and obviously without having sweated much.

His mother, Grace, has been one of the very powerful individuals in the land, by virtue of having worked her way into becoming wife of Zimbabwe’s sole shareholder and general manager for 34 year’s, Robert Mugabe. I can’t imagine anything that Grace, just like Robert, has not been able to get or do, from Mazowe to Chiadzwa and Dubai to DRC.

In that case, and the crux of my argument, Grace is not gaining any power she didn’t have, by assuming the position of Zanu PF Women’s League. I find the political connotations and implications also to be of very little significance, and neither here nor there, in real and practical terms.

On that, firstly, l should unpack a very crucial aspect about Grace’s general and political opportunities. They have always been, and still are, tied to nothing else but her being the wife of Robert. Grace was never a business mogul, but manipulated her status of being the wife of the man who colonised Zimbabwe and has been allowed to exploit it the way he wants and partition it for his subjects.

In the same way, Grace is not a politician, but has demonstrated to be a shallow charlatan, on the occasions she desperately joined her husband on the campaign trail, especially in the face of danger during the 2008 election campaign.

I remember her saying nothing more than, ‘Baba vanokudai. Shuwa shuwa mungabvume kutongwa nechimunhu chakashata kudaro ichocho chinonzi Tsvangirai. Vana vekuvhasiti votokepiwa neicho chimunhu chinotyisa nekushata kudaro (My husband loves you. Surely would you vote for that very ugly Tsvangirai thing? I can’t imagine our university graduates being capped by that man whose ugliness is quite intimidating).

To me this has been all and the best about Grace, or coming out waffling other nonsense such as claiming her daughter to be a virgin, amidst a thick cloud of skepticism over that claim. Now, my point is, yet again, whatever Grace can be, or do in politics may never move away from her basking in the shadow of Robert.

Therefore, all the impulsive and quite shallow speculation and analysis all the way to the farcical locating of Grace in the succession battle, or taking over the top post, is hogwash. Because, firstly, Robert just has no intention to be succeeded in this life. I wonder what people need to eat to eventually understand Robert Mugabe.

In previous years l used to buy the ruse and also write a lot of nonsense about Mugabe paving way for a successor, and other such hallucinations. I eventually saw through the old chap’s trick and no longer buy into it. Mugabe has no interest to be succeeded or to have Zanu PF go through phases of leadership renewal.

He has perfected the art of having only the Muzendas, Msikas and Nkomos replaced after they die. He is certainly waiting to go the same route himself. That means, Grace will get to the women group’s position and stay there as long as Robert is alive, because there will not be any movements in the presidium or top positions – that is anathema to Mugabe’s value system.

Joice Mujuru will remain safe where she is and if Mugabe is still alive, he will juggle to have the second vice president, in my view most likely Simon Khaya Moyo, with Emmerson Mnangagwa getting the position of chairman. When Mugabe dies, before or after Grace’s assumption of women group’s position, that will be it, for his wife’s political chances and career.

Grace is anything, and does anything, only in the shadow of Robert. She ain’t Sally at all, and by any shred of imagination. I remember Robert lamenting and implying that at Sally’s grave more than once. Grace will not succeed Robert because of the two factors, that he won’t be succeeded while he is alive – yet that is only circumstances where her chances exists – and that, when he dies, Grace starts her journey to becoming a nonentity that she is away from Robert’s shadow.

I should conclude by unpacking the trick behind Grace’s card being played by the Mnangagwa faction. It is meant to drag the weight, aura and threat of the Mugabe brand onto the chess board to beef up their muscle and counter the Mujuru faction. Oppah Muchinguri is going on a wild goose chase by wanting to challenge Mujuru – Mugabe will retain Teurai Ropa, and if he would have died by time of congress, Mujuru will become the president, easily.

The Mnangagwa faction is trailing way behind in the power battle – especially after Jonathan Moyo’s Baba Jukwa saga imploded – and desperately wants to play the Grace card. In addition to that, the state propaganda machinery, very desperately scrounging for anything, has found an effective distraction to entertain the nation with, away from the national crisis.

Private media outlets are also swimming in the frenzy of Gracegate, and aiding the plot. But, l am convinced that Robert won’t be poisoned in the bedroom to the extent of violating his tradition of retaining the top team to keep his threats at bay and placate the key individuals.

If Robert would have died when push comes to shove, Mujuru will easily take over, and Grace will start a journey down the ladder to become herself and manage her immense wealth away from the trouble of top level and rigorous politics.