via ‘Vulgar’ Grace calls reporters to Mazowe 18 November 2014
OPPOSITION MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu has challenged the rubblerousing Grace Mugabe to conduct herself with the dignity and integrity befitting a First Lady as it emerged she has summed journalists to her sprawling Mazowe compound.
President Robert Mugabe’s wife has shaken the ruling Zanu PF party with her campaign for the sacking of vice president Joice Mujuru, accusing her of all manner of perfidy including planning to topple her 90-year-old husband.
Since she was nominated to take over as head of the Zanu PF women’s league, Grace has travelled the country, lambasting Mujuru using language few would have expected of a newly-minted PhD holder.
The mother of four, three of the children with the President, stunned many when she gleefully declared that Mujuru would be “baby-dumped” at Zanu PF’s December congress if she does not heed her calls to step-down.
Although some commentators suggested Mugabe was preparing the ground for his wife to succeed him, Grace has disappointed, showing neither tact nor polish and precious little of the sophistication and subtlety expected of statesmen.
Gutu however said Grace’s conduct was not even befitting of her current social and political station as wife to the Head of State and, therefore, First Lady.
“This notorious habit of shouting at her perceived enemies and blurting out insults against other people in public is crass and completely out of sync with the dignity that is expected from a First Lady,” said the MDC-T spokesperson.
“She should always exude tolerance and motherliness as opposed to blurting out toxic hate speech and bitterness”.
Following her nationwide meet-the-people rallies, Grace has been summoning various groups to her country pile at Mazowe where she continues to rage against Mujuru and her allies.
The beeline to Mazowe has included members of the Zanu PF women’s league, traditional chiefs, war veterans, college students and, on Tuesday, informal traders.
Now journalists are set to be next, it emerged Tuesday.
The meeting with the reporters is understood to be scheduled for Thursday although it remains unclear whether Grace will only meet journalists from the state-controlled media which has backed her campaign against the vice president.
The First Lady has criticised sections of the privately-owned press, singling out the Daily News which she claims took money from Mujuru to write negative reports about her.
Gutu however said the country has had enough of Grace’s ranting.
“There’s really no good reason why she should summon journalists and any other people for that matter, to her posh Mazowe hideout solely for the purpose of humiliating Vice – President Joice Mujuru and other political actors in public”.
Jacob Mafume of the MDC Renewal Team said considering what is happening in Zanu PF, journalists should not turn down Grace’s invite.
He said: “Journalists should of course attend.
“Theirs is to record news as they attend but they should also ask critical questions on what the First Lady thinks she is doing. Is that the role of First Lady and where are they taking the country?
“Then they (reporters) must observe; who is there, body language, money used, what food is eaten, where is it from, the atmosphere, the said and the unsaid.”
Political analysts Takura Zhangazha added: “As a public figure, she (Grace) has the right to express her opinions to the media through press conferences and statements.
“But it would be most unfortunate if the First Lady has summoned journalists to a rally similar in fashion to the ones she has recently been holding.
“(Journalists attending the event) must be careful not to be treated like political actors functioning either through her benevolence or her beck and call, and if that is be the case, it would be a dark day for Zimbabwean journalism.”
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