FIRST Lady Grace Mugabe yesterday launched a savage attack on Vice-President Joice Mujuru, describing her as a gossiper, demonic and divisive. EVERSON MUSHAVA CHIEF REPORTER
Addressing about 3 000 Zanu PF supporters at Chipadze Stadium in Bindura, Grace said she had ordered her husband President Robert Mugabe to dump Mujuru at the December congress, failure to which she would do it herself.
Mujuru, who snubbed the rally — Grace’s ninth since she launched her political career early this month — is believed to be leading one of the Zanu PF factions vying to succeed 90-year-old Mugabe.
Without mentioning names, Grace said she had been told that factionalism started in Mashonaland Central, Mujuru’s backyard, and warned that unless the faction leader confessed to Mugabe, she would be dumped together with her cronies.
“The youths have alerted me about someone who is spearheading factionalism in this (Mashonaland Central) province and I told baba (President Mugabe) to “baby-dump” that person,” she said.
“I told him that if he does not dump the person, we will do it ourselves.
“Even baba is also fed up with the person. I heard that the demon of factionalism started in this province and spread to other provinces. I say from today, it should end. The moment of truth is coming.”
Grace, who had taken to the podium chanting the slogan down with Gamatox, said time was drawing nigh for her to name and shame the person being referred to as Gamatox.
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“The faction leader is moving around saying Mai Mugabe has money, yet the (same) person has diamond mines and has about 10% shares in almost every company,” she said.
“That is greed. That is corruption. Yet the person goes around saying a lot of rubbish about Amai Mugabe. That is why I am saying to baba, if he does not dump the person in the street to be devoured by the dogs, we will do it ourselves.”
The Mujuru family has a significant shareholding in the troubled River Ranch Diamond Mine, among many other investments. Tension in Zanu PF is reaching a tipping point as the party edges closer to its elective congress this December.
However, the entry of Grace into the political arena to lead the women’s league has complicated the succession wars. She has been touring provinces addressing rallies and firing broadsides at Zanu PF provincial leaders, particularly those aligned to Mujuru.
“You can no longer deny that you are a faction leader,” she said.
“Enough is enough. Even those men who are being used by this faction leader; we will dump them when we dump the person. Even these men are fools who accept to be led by a fool.”
Grace, who repeatedly reminded the audience that she is the First Lady, chided at the crowd which remained largely passive, throughout her speech. She said she was aware that they had been coached by the faction leader not to cheer her when she addresses them.
Grace claimed that youths had been paid to boo Mugabe when he addresses the congress in December, but warned stern action would be taken against such indiscipline.
Referring to Mujuru, Grace said: “They all say ‘we want Mugabe’, yet you say ‘you should support me, he is old’. What if you die first?
“You have even gone about buying newspapers to tarnish my image, claiming that my husband’s relatives do not love me, do yours love you?”
Mujuru’s husband died in a mysterious inferno at his Beatrice Farm in August 2011.
Grace sensationally claimed that a foreign female journalist, Heidi Holland, committed suicide after she cursed her for writing a book titled Dinner With Mugabe, which was not so complementary about the First Family.
“There was a white lady who wrote a book castigating President Robert Mugabe. I held the book and prayed to God to deal with her if what she wrote was not true. She committed suicide,” Grace said.
Meanwhile, Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo defended Mujuru’s absence at yesterday’s rally saying: “Vice-President Joice Mujuru is a national leader and so there was no need for her to be at the rally.
“The First Lady’s rallies are arrangements of an organ of the party (the women’s league) and Mujuru was away doing national duties.”
The incumbent women’s league boss Oppah Muchinguri likened Grace to Cremora.
“People were now dividing the (Women’s) league and we said no, Mai Mugabe should intervene.
“Others had said Muchinguri has ‘Cremora’ all over her body, but no, it is (Amai) Grace who has the Cremora.
“She moves at a supersonic speed, hey, don’t touch!”
Cremora is a popular coffee creamer.
