Categories: Stories

Grace only protecting Mugabe’s throne

Zimbabwe’s First Lady Grace Mugabe has no presidential ambitions and is only defending her husband from those who want to force him to step down before the end of his term.

This was said by her deputy Eunice Moyo in Chivi at the weekend at the handover of a church built by Chivi Rural District Council chairman Killer Zivhu.

 “There are some people who are targeting the President’s wife because they’re so scared of the power that she is trying to protect. The First Lady is only supporting her husband but there are some people who want to mislead Zimbabweans into believing otherwise,’’ Moyo was quoted by The Chronicle as saying.

 “She never said she wants to rule this country; let her speak for everyone and she deserves the support of everyone. She stands up because she is the image of the Mugabe home.’’

Grace has been accused of fanning factionalism within the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front by supporting a group called G40 which is trying to thwart Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa to succeed Mugabe and want her to take over instead.

She has also been accused of denigrating war veterans after saying they should not be given preferential treatment because everyone fought in the liberation struggle one way or another.

Grace has also attracted the wrath of the security forces after she claimed that they were involved in trying to kill her young son Chatunga.

Mugabe is holding a crucial, no-holds barred, meeting with war veterans on 7 April which most people believe could be the turning point for the ruling party as it prepares for elections in 2018.

Mugabe has said he is prepared to step down if war veterans ask him to but he added that this would have to be ratified by the party.

War veterans have passed a vote of no confidence in Eunice Moyo, Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko and Jonathan Moyo among others.

(169 VIEWS)

This post was last modified on March 29, 2016 9:13 am

Charles Rukuni

The Insider is a political and business bulletin about Zimbabwe, edited by Charles Rukuni. Founded in 1990, it was a printed 12-page subscription only newsletter until 2003 when Zimbabwe's hyper-inflation made it impossible to continue printing.

Recent Posts

Why I had a girlfriend two months after my wife’s death

This is a true story about the challenges and loneliness I faced when my wife…

May 17, 2026

Coming soon

My first long-form article in booklet form: Why I had a girlfriend two months after…

May 16, 2026

Insider Publisher starts whatsapp channel

The editor and publisher of The Insider, Charles Rukuni, has started a whatsapp channel through…

May 15, 2026

Who propped whom: Masiyiwa vs Nyambirai?

A friend who knows about my legal battle with Zimbabwe’s richest man, Strive Masiyiwa, way…

May 1, 2026

Britain says amendment of the Zimbabwean Constitution is a sovereign, legislative matter for Zimbabwe to decide

Britain says amendment of the Zimbabwe constitution is a sovereign, legislative matter for Zimbabwe to…

March 24, 2026

Who started the war?

It is now 47 years since I wrote the short story below for a South…

March 4, 2026