Mnangagwa: I feel sorry for Grace Mugabe

President Emmerson Mnangagwa says he does not trust former First Lady Grace Mugabe but feels sorry for her because she was used by those who wanted to get at him.

He, however, exonerated her from being involved in the weekend bomb attack at White City Stadium in Bulawayo in which 49 people were injured and two later died.

Pictures of Grace Mugabe with a victory sign have been circulating on the social media with some saying this was related to the bomb attack.

Mnangagwa said he felt that the attack was carried out by people who were aggrieved by his administration, and the people that were most aggrieved are members of G40, a group that was fighting to stop him from succeeding former President Robert Mugabe and appeared to be favouring Grace Mugabe.

Asked whether he trusted Grace Mugabe, Mnangagwa responded: “On what basis would I trust somebody who was used by a cabal to say things which had no basis at all.”

When told, “you sound quite angry when you reflect on that, Mnangagwa responded: “No I feel sympathy for her because she was in my view political immature and was easily used as a tool by those who wanted to get at me.”

Asked if his response to the bombing would be a security clampdown, Mnangagwa responded: “There is no need for us to say there will be a security clampdown or putting the country into security alert.

“No, this is a criminal activity, it doesn’t give any dent to the stability of the country nor the law and order of the course, but of course we must make sure that the population is protected, by making sure we hunt down these criminals.”

Asked: “Is this country stable when you have an attempt on the life of the President when an assassin, a would-be assassin, can get within a few inches of you?”

Mnangagwa responded: “Let me assure you that in the region, Zimbabwe is the most stable in my view in view of stability and law and order.”

Mnangagwa whose mantra has been: Zimbabwe is open for business, said foreign investors are extremely safe.

“I don’t think anybody would worry about an incident at a rally,” he said.

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