Mnangagwa, Mphoko refuse to answer questions about Grace Mugabe’s remarks at the Chinhoyi rally

Vice-Presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko yesterday refused to comment in Parliament about the remarks of the First Lady Grace Mugabe at the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front rally at Chinhoyi at the weekend.

The First Lady said both served at the mercy of her husband and it did not matter how long they had worked with the President. What mattered was what they did behind his back.

Grace Mugabe also publicly humiliated Mugabe’s spokesman George Charamba for not reining in the media over its attacks on Local Government Minister Saviour Kasukuwere and Higher Education Jonathan Moyo.

She also said Charamba was ignoring her philanthropic work.

Movement for Democratic Change vice-president Nelson Chamisa wanted the two o explain why the First Lady now suddenly wanted her husband to appoint a successor?

Was this because there was now instability in the governance of the country?

Mphoko said he could not comment because the question was in Shona.

Mnangagwa initially said he had not heard what the question was and when Chamisa repeated it, Mnangagwa said what Grace said was a party issue and not a government issue and the right platform to respond was at a rally since Grace had made the remarks at a public rally.

Mabvuku-Tafara legislator James Maridadi, however, insisted that this was not a party issue since ZANU-PF was the ruling party and Grace was the President’s wife.

He did not get any response despite his insistence.

Grace’s remarks have sparked intense debate with one war veteran saying the First Lady must discipline her children first if she wants the nation to take her seriously.

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