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Grace resumes rallies

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FIRST Lady Grace Mugabe is on Friday set to resume her countrywide rallies, making her first stop over in Buhera North, as she rolls out the roadmap for her husband President Robert Mugabe and the ruling party’s election campaign ahead of next year’s general elections.

FIRST Lady Grace Mugabe is on Friday set to resume her countrywide rallies, making her first stop over in Buhera North, as she rolls out the roadmap for her husband President Robert Mugabe and the ruling party’s election campaign ahead of next year’s general elections.

BY KENNETH NYANGANI

First Lady Grace Mugabe. Pic by Shepherd Tozvireva
First Lady Grace Mugabe. Pic by Shepherd Tozvireva

Zanu PF Manicaland provincial chairperson, Samuel Undenge yesterday told provincial co-ordinating committee members in Mutare that Grace would be in Buhera, MDC-T leader, Morgan Tsvangirai’s home area, on Friday.

“We are here to discuss a number of issues and one of them is that our First Lady Grace Mugabe will be in Buhera on the 17th of this month,” he said.

“I think our Provincial Affairs minister (Mandiitawepi Chimene) can give us a briefing on our First Lady’s visit to the province since the letter came through her office.”

Chimene confirmed the visit, but could not give details, claiming that she was still on leave.

Provincial women’s league secretary for administration, Letina Undenge, said she was expecting a bumper crowd at the rally.

“We love our mother, we are supporting her and we did this at our recently-held conference,” she said.

“This is more like the rally we held at Mutambara in Chimanimani. She is energetic and very keen to empower women.

“She empowered women, including youths, the last time she came to Chimanimani. This is going to be a roadmap going to the elections, come 2018.

“We are preparing to come in numbers. We are delighted because we are also going to celebrate the birthday of our President.”

The sharp-tongued Zanu PF women’s league boss normally uses such platforms to rail against her rivals in the ruling party, and in this particular instance her target could be Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is reportedly eyeing succeeding Mugabe.

Grace, who is believed to be the leader of the G40 faction comprising of the ruling party’s Young Turks, is reportedly also eyeing Mugabe’s seat.

On the other hand, Mnangagwa and his Team Lacoste faction, are believed to have the backing of war veterans and the security sector.

Grace marked her grand entry into mainstream Zanu PF politics in 2014 with a string of campaign rallies that spilled into 2015, culminating in the axing of Vice-President Joice Mujuru and several other former ruling party bigwigs on allegations of plotting Mugabe’s downfall.

Mujuru and her team, which at the time included former Presidential Affairs minister Didymus Mutasa and ex-Zanu PF spokesperson, Rugare Gumbo, later regrouped and formed the opposition Zimbabwe People First before their spectacular break up last week.