Grace Mugabe Says Mujuru Won’t Get Hero Status For 'Betraying’ President Mugabe
Mrs. Mugabe said Mrs. Mujuru, who was expelled from both the ruling party and government for allegedly plotting to assassinate the president, was feeling cold outside Zanu PF.
WASHINGTON DC — First Lady Grace Mugabe on Wednesday waded into former Vice President Joice Mujuru again saying her husband’s former deputy will not be buried at the national shrine if she dies. Addressing thousands of Zanu PF supporters in Rushinga district, Mashonaland Central province, in Mrs. Mujuru’s backyard, the first lady said the former vice president will not be buried at the National Heroes’ Acre for allegedly betraying her husband, President Robert Mugabe. Speaking in vernacular, Mrs. Mugabe said Mrs. Mujuru, who was expelled from both the ruling party and government for allegedly plotting to assassinate Mr. Mugabe, was feeling cold outside Zanu PF. Studio 7 failed to get a comment from Mrs. Mujuru whose mobile phone was not being answered. The frist lady said Zanu PF was now in campaign mood ahead of the 2018 elections declaring Mashonaland Central a no-go area for the opposition. The Women’s League boss took the opportunity to dismiss some media reports suggesting that she was leading a Zanu PF group commonly known as G40 or Generation 40 made up of young Zanu PF politicians that are angling to take over from President Mugabe once he leaves office. The ruling party is currently embroiled in factionalism that the first lady has been denouncing in all her rallies. Just like her husband, who uses every available opportunity to launch scathing attacks on the West, Mrs. Mugabe said former British premier Tony Blair and former president of the United States, George W. Bush, should be brought before the International Criminal Court (ICC) to face trial over human rights abuses in some African countries like Libya where its late president Moammar Gaddafi was toppled by his own people during an uprising. Mrs. Mugabe’s call comes at a time when South Africa’s ruling African National Congress party is mulling pulling out of the ICC after Pretoria was criticized for failing to arrest Sudanese President Omar al Bashir who is on an ICC arrest warrant. The African Union says the ICC is being used to target African leaders and ignoring western excesses in wars in Iraqi, Afghanistan and other nations. Although the Mugabe family has many properties countrywide, the first lady criticized some un-named senior government officials for grabbing multiple farms that she said were laying idle, saying this was impacting the country’s agro-based economy. Mrs. Mugabe also took close to 10 minutes to criticize journalists for writing about her public life. But prominent journalists and editor of The Obersver newspaper, Barnabas Thondlana, said journalists should be allowed to do their work without fear or favor. Meanwhile, Mrs. Mugabe distributed food hampers, computers and several farm implements that included tractors to the people of Rushinga and Dotito saying she was not worried that the opposition would accuse her of vote-buying ahead of the 2018 elections. The First Lady is expected to address more rallies in other provinces.