Grace Mugabe had got used to tossing around Zimbabwe government officials despite her not being part of government. A recent example example is when she picked on the permanent secretary for the ministry of information at a rally.
"Iwe George simuka!" (Wena George yima! Hey George stand up!). She then gave him a gale force verbal dry cleaning as he forlornly stood there. Ending it with "Chigara pasi!" (Now go sit down!). Even teachers of kindergarten classes show more respect than that for their pupils.
At past rallies and Zanu-PF Politiburo meetings she has claimed that she has a right to sit next to the president. It is clear in her mind the fact that she sleeps with Robert Mugabe gives her more authority than his official deputies.
She has unashamedly used that self-granted authority to wreak havoc in Zanu-PF and the Zimbabwe government. She effectively haunted one of Mugabe's deputies, Joice Mujuru, out of the party and government, throwing a stream of invective and insults after her.
Zimbabwe officials mostly deferred to her out of respect for her husband. Most of their complaints have been under the table, out of the public eye. However Grace herself brought to light some of what was being said under the table when she thundered at a rally, "Handizi hure raMugabe." (I am not Mugabe's prostitute.)
Everyone knows Mugabe has a hectic travel schedule. I know quite a number of Zimbabweans have been saying that is because of the 'young wife syndrome'. However as age has caught up with him he has looked increasingly frail. He has been unable to keep up the hectic schedule, so Grace has increasingly taken to travelling on her own.
Apparently it has never dawned to her that when she travels on her own she doesn't enjoy the protection of her husband's status. Nor does she carry any status incumbent with being a government official because she is not one.
Previously she was involved in a similar incident when she launched herself catlike, claws, fangs and all, at a reporter in Hong Kong. On that occasion she was in the company in the company of her husband, whose diplomatic immunity was extendable to his accompanying family members.
In South African instance the storm caught her without her umbrella. She was alone on a private visit without her husband.
She needs someone brave enough to tell her 'Empress, you are naked." The authority she granted herself in the Zimbabwe government is like bond notes. It cannot be exported to foreign governments.
I am sure there is a lot of quiet glee in Zimbabwe government circles, what we call in ChiKaranga (Shona) 'laughter that doesn't escape the ribs'. Many are quietly reciting the ChiKaranga saying "Zvaiwana ngwarati kudya ivete" (Finally the sable has been caught eating while lying down).
Her only possible saving grace is that the ANC is strong allies with Zanu-PF and they run the South African government. They might decide to do a Bashir on her. She can be Guptaed out of the country through an airforce base or granted immunity.
However it does not help her case that she is not being contrite and apologetic. Instead those acting for her have variously planted rumours that the victim attacked her. Or that she was a drug supplier for the errant Mugabe children.
In the first case her bodyguards should be fired immediately. How can they allow the First Lady to fight tooth and nail for thirty minutes to defend herself against a slight twenty-year old female while they watch.
In either case she should have shown trust in the South African authorities by reporting the transgressions against her. My advice to them is to stop the evasive nonsense. They should focus on getting a settlement.
Never mind what AfriForum says. Settlements are routinely made in some criminal cases. Bill Clinton settled with Paula Jones over more serious allegations than assault. This is a relatively minor case and the only reason to rule out settlement is to maximize the humiliation of Grace Mugabe.
Obviously that is an outcome the they are interested in. However despite their high horse, their motives seem less than noble. Some people are already crying racism over their involvement in the case.
Nonetheless there is no denying that the empress has just discovered that she is naked. There is no authority in being the wife of a president or even a queen. Prince Philip of Britain regularly gets taken to the cleaners for mere slips of the tongue.
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