‘Men from Matabeleland only interested in sex; and they are lazy too’ – Grace Mugabe

GWANDA – In a bizarre ranting Grace Mugabe rounded up on men from Matabeleland who she accused of only good at marrying and making babies instead of developing their areas.

Mugabe who recently graduated with a controversial doctorate in Sociology from the University of Zimbabwe said this amidst cheers from a crowd of about 4000 predominately Ndebele people in Gwanda on Monday.

Mugabe took swipe at the Ndebele men accusing them of marrying a lot of wives and making too many children they end up failing to take care of.

“It is very common here to find a man with 5, 6 or 10 wives what kind of a bull is that?” she said.

Mugabe’s lashing of the Ndebele men was surprisingly met with a huge cheer and clapping of hands from the crowd. Amongst those who cheered were Minister of Sports and Culture Andrew Langa so did ZANU PF national chairman Simon Khaya Moyo and Gwanda Resident Minister Abednico Ncube.

Further to that, Grace also accused men from Matabeleland South for not developing themselves but just interested in going down south to Johannesburg to do menial jobs. This is the second time in under 2 years that the first family has attacked the people from Matabeleland for the great trek to South Africa.

President Mugabe attracted huge attacks from the people of Matabeleland when he made the same remarks at the same venue last year. Dr Grace Mugabe also accused the men in the region of being rapists and abusers saying the region provides the highest statistic in terms of rape and women abuse.

Tuesday the First Lady takes her rallies to another of Matabeleland Provinces in Lupane.

Grace said God already has a list of leaders who will take over from President Robert Mugabe.

Addressing people who had gathered at Gwanda’s Pelandaba Stadium in Matabeleland South, Grace said Zimbabwe needed capable leaders with the requisite resources to assist President Mugabe.

“God prepares leaders. He has a list of leaders, whether you like it or not he has a ready prepared list of who will succeed Mugabe when he leaves his position and who will be the next vice-president,” she said.

The First Lady launched a broadside at Zanu PF leaders who are used to “piggy-backing” on the president rather than working for the good of the country.

“Some are used to be strapped on the president’s back. They think being vice-president is spending time in the office while the president is working for you. We want people who are capable. We don’t want a liability (sic).

“That’s why I’m saying you need self-introspection. You need to be fair to yourself, go to others and ask how you perform,” she said, adding that “factionalism is corruption because if you are buying people to vote for you that is corruption”.

Zanu PF is embroiled in a vicious succession battle ahead of its biggest elective congress set for December.

Media reports claim vice-president Joice Mujuru is leading one of two distinct factions that have emerged in the former guerrilla movement and is locked in battle with party legal supremo Emmerson Mnangagwa, who also currently serves as Justice minister in a bitter fight to take over from Mugabe when he eventually leaves office.

“A hundred names, all rushing to media (to campaign). Have we forgotten the code of conduct? Do we conduct our party business in newspapers? Stop it, stop it.  If you jump too much, if you are at a supersonic speed you will lose it (sic).”

The First Lady also registered her disappointment with events in Manicaland in which riotous youths engaged in running battles and almost scuttled her “Meet the people” rally in that part of the country as warring factions went for each other’s throats. This; despite her efforts to bring together the different factions at her Harare gathering.

“We were in (Oppah) Muchinguri’s province on Friday (Manicaland), that is where all men challenging (President) Mugabe come from, but all that doesn’t matter because if it’s not for God it won’t work. Leaders come from God. You can be educated but if you have no wisdom, morals and humility, you are nothing (sic).

“In Mutare, I discovered that we have senior members we know by names who have no morals. They incite youths by buying beer and marijuana for them and tell them to boo Amai Mugabe when she is addressing, it is not a nice thing,” she said.

She warned of dire consequences if the issue of factionalism is not addressed as a matter of urgency and expressed her wish that the upcoming congress would deal with the issue once and for all.

“I sometimes wish that when I blink, congress will be done and over. If I had the power I would speed it up because people are getting insane (sic),” said the First Lady.

She bemoaned the fact that Zanu PF leaders had dumped national programmes as the fight for positions threatens to spill-over.

“Let’s not clandestinely select each other for positions, fooling each other that we are able. At times people will fool you and dump you in the nick of time (sic). Especially if you are a woman, they will put you at the top and praise you, then dump you.  Women, let’s not be used in this factionalism fights,” the First Lady said adding: “God prepares leaders. He has a list of leaders, even if you say you want or you don’t want, he has the list that if (President) Mugabe leaves position who will be the next and who will be the next vice-president”.

She reminded ambitious leaders that the party constitution states that only the president can appoint leaders into top positions.

“But our constitution states that the president is the one who appoints. So you can be boasting that you are the one and you are unstoppable, you are actually working against yourself (sic),” said the First Lady.

She once again castigated the so called “dirty dozen”, a group of Zanu PF lawmakers allegedly benefiting from United States funding and providing inside information on Zimbabwe.

“You cannot benefit from two courses of action that are mutually incompatible. You can’t be doing party business and on the other side pushing factionalism. We don’t need people like that,” she said, reminding people that the MDC is an example of a failed foreign-funded project.

The First Lady will today address another rally at Somhlolo Stadium in Lupane, Matabeleland North, before heading to Bulawayo on Wednesday. The Zimbabwe Mail