VPs consult me and take notes: Grace Mugabe

KADOMA – Zimbabwe’s First Lady Grace Mugabe has boasted that Vice Presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko take notes each time they meet her, something that sacked Vice President Joice Mujuru never did.

The First Lady was addressing hundreds of people who attended the commissioning of a housing project in Kadoma. Several Zanu PF MP’s skipped the question and answer session in parliament to hear her latest public rants.

“The leadership of VPs has changed. It is different because in the short time that these two men have been appointed to office, I cannot count how many times I have sat down with them and discussed the development of Zimbabwe.

“That is the leadership that we want, leaders who know they are servants of the people. They know they are there to work for the people and understand that they have been given jobs to work for the people.

“They know that they must sit down with Amai to discuss about developmental issues. I support that. VP Mnangagwa, I support that and am sure you have lost count the number of meetings we have had.

“This never happened in the past as there was a woman who wore dresses like me (former Vice President Joice Mujuru) but never came to me to discuss about the development of Zimbabwe.

“But I tell you, Mnangagwa comes with a notebook, Mphoko comes with a notebook to listen to me. They know I am younger than them but they appreciate that I am Amai and I have something to tell them about developing the nation.

“They will be taking down notes as I speak. I tell you, they will be jotting down notes as I speak so that the nation moves forward. I would like to tell them that I want that relationship to continue because that is the only way Zimbabwe can develop and become successful,” Grace said.

In the run up to the Zanu PF congress last year, Grace Mugabe led a vicious campaign against Mujuru accusing her of plotting topple and even assassinate her 91 year old husband. The First Lady used a series of nationwide rallies to de-campaign Mujuru without even offering any evidence to back her claims.

Mujuru was eventually sacked as Vice President and Mnangagwa and Mphoko were elevated to the presidium. With Mugabe now old and frail it is speculated the First Lady is now effectively running the country and deciding who gets fired from the ruling Zanu PF party and government.

On Wednesday she for example called on the Prosecutor General Johannes Tomana to be sacked.

Tomana courted public anger last month when he appeared to suggest that girls as young as 12 must be listened to by the courts if they wish to start families with older men because they are capable of giving consent to sex.

The First Lady wasted no time in exploiting public opinion on the matter saying it was people with Tomana’s mind who stifle development in the country.

“We need people who talk sense not to say ‘I was misquoted’. Uchimbozvitaurirei? (Why say it in the first place?)” the First Lady said in Kadoma.

“Hatidi munhu anofarisa kana aripabasa. Kana usingazive zvekutaura, vhara muromo wako uende kumba kwako unwe tea nechingwa unyarare (We don’t want people who get carried away while at work. If you don’t know what to say, just shut up, go home and drink tea with bread in silence.)”

To wild applause from hundreds of people gathered, she added: “We don’t want our country to be tainted in that way. That’s madness, and that person should be fired because his behaviour is rotten.

“Mukaona munhu anodaro ibhinya, ndiye ari kuita basa rekubhinya vanhu nekuti munhu musvinu, anemwana musikana, anepfungwa chaidzo haadaro.

“Tinokubhutsura isu vanaMai Mugabe kana zvatisvikira (If you see someone saying that [a 12-year-old can consent to sex], he’s a pervert. He’s the one in the business of abusing children because a rational person, someone who’s in charge of his mental faculties would never say that. We’ll kick you out).”

Last year war veterans leader Jabulani Sibanda was sacked from both the association and Zanu PF for claiming that Grace Mugabe had effected a “bedroom coup” and that power was being “sexually transmitted”.