FYI Grace Mugabe and Maos last wife > > > Eddie Cross > > 20 October 2014 > > > > Eddie Cross writes on the Zimbabwean presidents wifes desperate scramble > for power > > > Graceland > > Everyone knows that Graceland was the name given to the home of a famous > American entertainer who has become a fantasy figure in the States. If we > are not careful Zimbabwe could well become known as Graceland with all the > connotations that are involved. > > Since her elevation at the Womens League Conference of Zanu PF to the lofty > heights of future league leader, she has taken off like a rocket - barn > storming the country in Air Force 1 (a blue helicopter) accompanied by an > entourage that her husband might command. Wherever she has landed she has > caused commotion and controversy. Without any regard to protocol, she has > attacked just about everybody in sight. > > People attending her rallies who attempted to leave have been told by armed > men to stay where they were. Where dissent was allowed she belittled those > who walked out on her speeches. It is not a pleasant spectacle and the > question must be posed, what does this all mean and where is the ship of > State going? > > It is clear that her entry to politics was carefully engineered. Whoever was > responsible (the Crocodile is mooted), it was smooth and swift. The present > leader stepped aside and she was accepted by acclaim (no secret balloting). > She has clearly taken this to mean that she is being admitted to the upper > echelons of leadership in the Party and I am sure she has overstepped the > mark as far as her sponsors are concerned. > > Despite her multiple academic qualifications - all dubious, she is not known > for her intellect. She is known for lavish parties, shopping expeditions and > avarice. When she decided to go into business, she commandeered several top > commercial farms in the fertile Mazoe Valley, developed a dairy with no > expense spared and created an expensive school complex. > > I knew the first Mrs. Mugabe, Sally quite well and thought very highly of > her. I got to know her brother and family well and my daughter used to spend > time with Sallys niece in Harare. A close friend of mine also knew Sally > well and worked closely with her on many issues. She was a real lady and I > think she moderated her husbands behavior and actions while she was alive. > When she died Mr. Mugabe lost much more than a wife and partner, she was his > compass and conscience. > > Grace was a junior typist/secretary in the Presidents Office. She spotted > the opportunity presented by Sallys illness and subsequent death and became > his mistress even while Sally was dying. Already married, she dumped her > husband who was then banished to Beijing on attachment before being divorced > and the Catholic Church was then coerced into marrying the pair in what has > really been an unholy alliance. > > The parallels of Grace Mugabes elevation to that of the third and last wife > of Mao in China are considerable; including now her desire to assume the > mantle of President in 2015 - before or after her husbands demise. She > knows time is not on her side and she wants to move while her husband still > holds constitutional power and has the capacity to effect succession. > > The entry of Grace into the struggle for succession in Zimbabwe has > complicated matters in the country enormously. She now sits on the bench > with half a dozen other contenders, each of whom thinks that they deserve > the job and can manage the office best. The lineup is not a pretty one - > several are guilty of fraud and corruption on a massive scale, several have > blood and murder on their CVs, few have really distinguished themselves > either in society, or business or government. > > If the intention of those who are behind her elevation was to attack the > political base of the Vice President, Mrs. Mujuru, then she is doing a > splendid job. Yesterday, in a clear statement directed at the VP, Grace said > in a speech at Bindura - the long term base of the Mujuru clan, that she > would be dragged in the streets and her body eaten by vultures with no one > to help her. Tough stuff, burning bridges stuff, no going back. > > To me the main message in all of this is the decline in the political power > and influence of Mr. Mugabe. The deterioration in the past year has been > noticeable and has resulted in political control of the center slipping out > of his hands. The mavericks are having a great time and their activities are > now doing serious damage to what is left of our economy. > > While the Ministry of Finance and even the World Bank and the IMF maintain > the fiction that we are still seeing some growth in the economy, the > experience of the business community is not so complacent. This week a > statement from Delta Corporation that clear beer sales are down 29 percent > is a very serious indicator of just how bad things are. My own prediction > for the current year is for a decline in GDP of not less than 5 percent. > > With deflation continuing at about 2 percent this is a very serious > situation. The stock market has continued to fall, the bank crisis shows no > signs of abating and investment is frozen in its tracks. Without the hidden > boost of revenues from the diamond mines at Marange, the level of imports is > declining and this is further exacerbating the situation in the domestic > economy. The financial stress on everyone is palpable. > > What the Chinese premier advised when he met Mr. Mugabe in Beijing a few > weeks ago was that he should deal with the succession issue by > administrative and not democratic means and he nudged the President towards > the Minister of Justice, Mnangagwa. Secondly he should repair his relations > with the West and thirdly, he should put his economic house in order by > strategic policy reform. > > Instead Mr. Mugabe has tried to use cold war tactics and drawn in the > Russians; he has allowed the political chaos in his Party to continue and > even deepen and shows no signs of any willingness to put his economic house > in order. Instead of stabilizing the situation he has allowed the economic, > social and political crisis to deepen. > > Zimbabwe is unlikely to become Graceland and in the process Grace may become > the first casualty. She will not be mourned. > > Eddie Cross is MDC MP for Bulawayo South. This article first appeared on his > website eddiecross.africanherd >
Posted on: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 09:33:01 +0000
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