ALTHOUGH there has been widespread speculation that First Lady Grace Mugabe is angling to take over from her husband, President Robert Mugabe, as the country’s leader, Zimbabweans across the political divide can’t agree more with ex-Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Guseni Oliver Mutambara that she’s not presidential material.
Comment: NewsDay Editor
Or is it she is not yet ripe for the presidency, that is if she worka very hard on her inadequacies, as her leadership qualities are always called into question.
Give her a mic and Grace will expose her lack of skill, depth and respect for Zimbabweans, as she portrays this character of a dictator in the making. For someone who wants to be called by the moniker Mother of the Nation, she’s uncouth to say the least.
We have no doubt that Zimbabweans have not only learned the hard way in the 37 years of Mugabe’s iron-fisted rule, but regret having voted for him in 1980.
Now Zimbabweans are agreed that Grace doesn’t cut it, not another Mugabe.
Everyone who has watched Grace the moment she stormed into the country’s rugged political terrain can tell that she is no more than a green horn lacking the tact, suaveness and political astuteness that the office demands. She is clearly in desperate need of grooming, as she is bereft of the etiquette the office requires.
Having worked in government at the highest level, Zimbabweans are bound to believe Mutambara’s sentiments that Grace is not yet ready for the top office, although tell-tale signs are there that she wants to succeed her 93-year-old husband who, in the last few years, has been stalked by old age, fragility and ill-health.
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Given Grace’s lack of political experience and tact, chances are high that she may not be able to stand the succession matrix once it begins to play out in earnest, as several political gladiators are also eyeing the hot seat the moment it becomes vacant.
That also does not follow that seasoned or career politicians are better leaders. They aren’t either.
Any candidate with no tainted past can still win the hearts of Zimbabweans and turn their fortunes. Not even common sense will win the next elections. It appears populism will after all.
Following Grace’s rise up the political ladder and the public show she has displayed, one can easily tell that the presidency will be a tall order for a political novice, as she is deprived of the markings of a leader with wit, tact and foresight that Zimbabwe currently needs.
No doubt Grace’s past whirlwind tours across the country have only shown her as a gauche and divisive leader, who might not be able to steer the ship of State.
The sooner the First Lady realises she still has a long way to go before she can evolve into proper leadership material, the better for Zimbabwe.
