FIRST Lady Grace Mugabe, who is being angled for the powerful Zanu PF Women’s League top post, has been holding provincial rallies to position herself ahead of the party’s elective congress this December.
As Grace ends her campaign trail, NewsDay documents one of her rallies held at the City Sports Centre in Harare.
REPORT BY TAPIWA ZIVIRA
It is 10am and the stadium is already full to the brim with mostly women and youths wearing T-shirts that bear the face of the First Lady Grace Mugabe. While some have chosen to sit in others are on their feet, dancing and singing political party songs.
On one part of the stadium are visibly drunk youths singing vulgar songs that chide political rivals.
Other women sing songs and chant slogans praising Grace and President Robert Mugabe.
Vendors, selling cool drinks, mineral water, ice-cream and other foodstuffs, are scattered all over the arena, taking advantage of the heat and the huge crowd to make business.
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Many in the main stadium arena are having the one rand iced drinks, popularly known as Freezits.
In this electric, sweaty and absorbing commotion, it is a mixed bag of activities as the arrival of Grace and her team nears.
Several overzealous party youths try to cross the line to greet government officials, but they are quickly manhandled to where they belong, the mbombera.
The thick line
Security officials — police, soldiers and prison officers, among others- are out in full force, monitoring the situation and maintaining a clear line between the main arena and the VIP area.
It is behind this police line that there is the immaculately set area for the “Very Important People”, where the red carpet is rolled, mineral water and other refreshments are served.
Unlike people in the main arena who are wearing ordinary clothes and cheap party T-shirts, officials in the VIP area are smartly dressed in tailor-made party regalia that match the designer jewellery, handbags, designers pants, dresses and skirts.
For the unknowing, the VIP area — which is quickly filling up with several top party and government officials- looks more like a political regalia fashion show than an ordinary rally.
The arrival
It is only after 12 noon that she arrives with her delegation that comprise outgoing Women’s League chairperson Oppah Muchinguri and other officials. The restive crowd erupts into cheers.
Like a queen, Grace — tall and outstanding from her aides — gently strides to the VIP area, wearing a rather nervous smile while waving her fist in response to the crowd’s cheers.
Today she is wearing gold-coloured earrings that match with her gold and black wrap-over dress that carries Mugabe’s picture on the chest.
After the salutation formalities that involve the glorification of the First Family and the denunciation of political rivals and factional leaders, Grace gets into her speech, which lasts for more than an hour.
Long speechWith the blistering heat starting to take effect on the crowd, some decide to refresh outside the main stadium, courting the ire of police whose orders are not to let anyone out until Grace finishes her speech.
A brief scuffle between youths and party supporters ensues as police refuse to open the gate, insisting that people will only be let out when Grace is finished with her speech.
The situation is calmed by the arrival of a police truck with back up units.
After the speeches, commotion is renewed as hundreds jostle to secure places in the 15 hired Zupco buses.
Others, still wearing their regalia, slowly trek back to their homes on foot in the scorching October sun.
Towards the main Rekayi Tangwena Street are youths waiting to snatch back Zanu PF T-shirts from those holding the newly received T-shirts and not wearing them.
The feastAs the thousands saunter back home on empty stomachs, a feast is about to begin in a tent at the back of the arena.
Top officials soon gather in the tent and amid cheers and laughter; they gobble the buffet-served treaties and share political stories before they hop into their Range Rovers and Mercedeses.
The gap exposedAccording to media analyst and journalist Rashweat Mukundu, Grace’s rallies have exposed the gap between “the ruling elite and the suffering masses of Zimbabwe”.
“While for the ruling elite politics is all about power and personal benefits accrued, Grace has failed to articulate the challenges facing people, more so the huge unemployment, lack of housing, access to water and health. Grace is interested in power struggles and this is also reflected in those supporting her and those opposing her.”
Zimbabwe’s economy is hopelessly spiralling down, companies are closing down, unemployment is rising and the liquidity crisis is worsening and most are being forced into vending to eke out a living.
At one of her rallies, Grace insinuated that Matabeleland men were not exerting energies to developing the region, as they were “escaping” to South Africa, leaving their wives and children suffering.
These remarks were widely condemned by analysts who pointed out that the First Lady was insensitive and far removed from reality of the daily life of Zimbabweans hard-pressed by the economic meltdown.
Mukundu said the distribution of maize seed and fertiliser in Matabeleland, a place that has a climate fit for cattle-rearing and not maize growing, shows Grace is removed from reality.
“How can Grace distribute maize seed and fertiliser in Bulawayo of all places one may ask?” Mukundu queried.
For the top party officials, it has been a fruitful day. They have made speeches, received unending ovations and ended it with a sumptuous meal.
But the story is different for the ordinary Zimbabweans who have had yet another day of slogans, promises and threats.
