FIRST Lady Grace Mugabe yesterday stunned thousands of women attending a conference in Harare when she made sensational revelations that her 24-year-old daughter Bona is still a virgin despite her age and recent marriage. PHYLLIS MBANJE Staff Reporter
Mugabe also took the opportunity to dispel foreign online news reports which claimed that her daughter was sexually abused a few years ago while at university in the Far East.
Bona was customarily married in August to Sam Chikore a pilot for Emirates Airline.
Mugabe received a standing ovation when she proudly told thousands of women attending an interdenominational conference dubbed “Today’s Woman” at the City Sports Centre that despite all odds, Bona was still “intact”.
The First Lady said she summoned Chikore and told him in no uncertain terms that he had to respect Bona’s body and preserve her virginity.
“I summoned Sam and told him in person that it was my wish as Bona’s mother that she remains a virgin until her wedding day,” she said amid loud cheers and ululations.
Mugabe praised her daughter whom she described as a good example of how young women should conduct themselves in the community.
She challenged other parents to bring up their children the traditional way in order to reduce their chances of indulging in sex before marriage.
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Calling on all parents to follow suit, Mugabe said she had impressed it upon her daughter during their discussions to respect her body and honour her future husband by giving him a gift of purity.
“I was not shy to tell her that she was not supposed to allow any man to touch her body in an inappropriate way. I am happy she complied,” she said.
The First Lady bemoaned the current generation of young people who spend their time hooked on computers watching pornographic material.
She blasted parents for spoiling their children with expensive gadgets and not guiding them in the right way as specified in the Bible.
“Children have access to pornographic material and that is where they are getting these homosexual tendencies that have polluted our culture,” Mugabe said.
“The President and I have always stood up against these shameful acts and will always do.”
She also admonished people for watching reality shows like Big Brother Africa.
“Why do people watch such nonsense, how does it benefit us as a nation?” she asked.
But some participants at the conference said they were surprised the First Lady was criticising Big Brother, yet President Robert Mugabe in 2011 invited Munyaradzi Chidzonga to present him with $300 000 after coming second in the reality show.
The First Lady also took a swipe at some foreign online media organisations which reported that Bona recently married because she had been raped.
“That is utter rubbish, it never happened and to those detractors shame on you for dragging an innocent girl into all this.
“It is not fair that politics should go this far, my daughter is obedient,” Mugabe said sounding very emotional.
She later called on to the podium Sam’s mother Christina Chikore whom she thanked for raising a “proper gentleman” and pleaded with her to look after Bona.
“Treat my daughter as you would your very own,” she said.
The date for the much-awaited wedding is yet to be announced, although speculation is rife that it will happen in December.
Bona graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours) in Accountancy degree from the University of Chan Tai Ho Hall in Hong Kong in 2011 and in 2014 will also graduate in Singapore after undertaking another programme in Banking and Finance.
Her parents received $35 000 and 15 head of cattle in bride price (lobola) from the Chikore family In Zvimba.
According to unconfirmed reports, Bona and Chikore’s relationship started two years ago when she boarded a plane he was flying on the way to Dubai.
Speaking on her daughter’s early relationship with Sam, the First Lady said she had enquired from Bona if she had a boyfriend.
“Being the shy person that she is, she simply said I have someone I talk to on the phone,” Mugabe said.
“When I got the name of the boy I phoned Amai Eunor Guti (of Zimbabwe Assemblies Of God Africa) and asked about him and she unreservedly said if he ever became my son-in-law, we would have been blessed.”
Analysts said if indeed Bona was a virgin, she would be one of the few girls in the country who abstain from sex until marriage.
A recent survey revealed that girls as young as 12 were already indulging in sex.
