via Grace Mugabe defends her PhD 3 October 2014 by Nunurai jena
FIRST Lady Grace Mugabe yesterday broke the silence over her controversial PhD conferment, saying she was determined to defend it and prove that she earned the title through hard work.
Addressing her maiden political rally in Chinhoyi following her recent conferment of a Doctorate of Philosophy degree by the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) and her nomination to lead the Zanu PF Women’s League, Grace vowed to shame her detractors.
“Today is an important day for me as it is a day I was asked by women in the country to kick-start my political career,” she said.
The First Lady’s PhD has stirred controversy over the past few weeks amid reports that UZ authorities could have upgraded her Master’s degree to a PhD, with some sources saying she did not even study for the degree programme.
The speculation swirled last week following reports that her thesis file was missing in the university archives, although her peers, including Vice-President Joice Mujuru, had their thesis documents publicised.
However, UZ authorities have kept silent over the issue while Grace’s sympathisers have claimed that the speculative reports were part of a plot to derail her budding political career.
Addressing over 2 000 Zanu PF supporters at her campaign rally at Chinhoyi Stadium, Grace said what matters most was not titles, but ability to deliver on people’s needs.
“You might have the title, but fail to garner the respect from the people . . . I can be called First Lady or Doctor Mugabe and put certificates on the walls of my house, but that certificate is not the one that will work,” she said.
Grace also took a swipe at factionalism in the ruling party and bemoaned what she termed lack of proper leadership qualities among some Zanu PF officials, adding that should her husband President Robert Mugabe decide to quit active politics, the party would crumble.
“Factionalism will get us nowhere. If what we are hearing is true, then those who are doing it are a shame to the party . . . they are getting money from the Americans and the British to destabilise our party.”
Grace warned party members to work tirelessly all the time not to wait for election time to visit constituencies.
Speaking at the same event, outgoing secretary for the Women’s League Oppah Muchinguri said the First Lady would now be the chief adviser to President Mugabe on almost everything.
“She is now the chief adviser of President Mugabe. That is why when she came here she wanted to know about the fairness of inputs distribution and report back on many other issues . . . the senior queen is now Amai Mugabe,” said Muchinguri
COMMENTS
My my my what trouble Zim is in now. “Chief advisor” and “senior queen” this is true madness , how much longer can it continue??
WAIT AND SEE MA1 ATOPINDA IN POWER TAKATARISA
arrogant Disgrace Gucci
I’ve had to read this again and again I just can not believe what has happened and is happening in Zim. Cry the beloved country
This is the most disgracing or disgraceful moment in Zimbabwe’s history. That a street woman became the President’s wife and sort of forced him to give her everything including a pseudo PHD degree is the worst crime. It exposes Grace’s personality in case some people thought that she was anything other than a street woman who found herself in bed with the most powerful man in the country, an extremely negative accident!
Who is ‘paying’ Muchinguri? The only positive is Mugarbage wont be around for too long. But what could happen after him is even more scary – these factions will not only destroy each other but THE WHOLE COUNTRY for their own selfishness! I shudder!
“The Mind Boggles” says it all,
you hardly need to comment – but
yes, Cry My Beloved Country.
dis-Grace Mugarbage is a useless,
whorish, Standard Three typist,
no more.
Because she beds with that disgusting,
simian devil, doesn’t make her any
more acceptable.
amai, queen, candiadte are all empty
titles, she’s none of those, never will be!
Her stolen ‘doctorate’ is a joke,
she failed the British ‘Bachelors’ and
never qualified for a ‘Masters’, even
though she tried to use the one ‘bought’
in China.
She’s like her filthy husband, a cancer on
Zimbabwe’s side, that must be cauterized.
Misleading headline .The ho didnt defend anything. Did she provide evidence of its existence? By telling us that its not a title that matters she is actually insinuating that there minght actually be no PhD and in an indirect way trying to deflect attention from the degree to “her works” (if she has any that is)
If the degree had no use why did she feel the need to buy one then?
She is farting as usual
Misleading indeed.
PhDs are defended before an academic assessment panel, not at rallies.
I didn’t see in the story where Gucci defended her GMO Phd.
I only pray o young Gucci ho doesnot rule the roost. Or else we are all stuffed.
Why worry about Amai’s PhD. 21 1st century is not time TO waste TIME thinking of fate degrees. There is no stupid investor or employer prepared to hire an idiot with a fake PhD. so WHY WORRY. If ZANU PF can employ or allow themselves to be led by such a person that’s their own thing. The question is ‘do you see anything good in ZANU so you can afford to associate yourself with it’. Simply organise yourselves quietly and smartly to present a formidable case to the electorate, come 2018. Moaning takes us nowhere.
I applaud the likes of BITI and many other Zimbos who sacrifice their time and effort to place Zimba at the centre of their lives. They are obviously not perfect but that’s what we want. We need just a minimum of 20 people like BITI and Zimbabwe will never be the same again. Where are you? Think about the Wright brothers; they did not have GCSEs and simply self-taught themselves but they changed the character and complexion of the world. Others like the jealousy Dr Langley, DESPITE HOLDING A PhD in engineering, tried to compete with the Wrights but simply crashed into water WHILE testing a fate aeroplane. Food for thought!
Read this comment by idiot, azz-licker Kaisara from Bitswana –
“I would like to do something for those children in Mazowe, but my immediate hope is to meet the First Lady and tap her wisdom since I run a project for street children and the disabled back in my country,” she said.
There’s a ‘effing idiot born every minute!
What? Where does she defend her PhD in the article? The only thing she said was “titles” were unimportant if one had the support of the people. So why then did she feel she had to buy a title?
To quote the late Enoch Dumbutshena: “Sadly in Zimbabwe PhD means Pull him Down”.