Grace Marufu Mugabe, former personal secretary in the office of president with whom President Robert Mugabe had an affair even before the death of his terminally-ill wife Sally Hayfron is the most influential woman in Zimbabwe now. She’s but a king maker thanks to sharing bed with the big man. Mrs Mugabe who’s currently scheming to inherit power from her aging and long-time president seems hell-bent to fulfill her desires shall Zimbabweans not stop her. Mrs Mugabe seems to be ahead of the game after taming her husband as she separated him from his comrades. She recently saw former Vice President who fought liberation war, Cde, Joyce Mujuru being shown the door to perfect her art of power seeking. After Mujuru hit the road Bulawayo 24 News quoted Mrs Mugabe as saying “I never wanted to do this to her (Mujuru), but the way she treated me, I was forced to do so. She tore the party regalia which she was wearing to an extent that she moved undressed in protest over my nomination.” It is now obvious. Arguably, the problem is not the allegations that are all over the place that Mujuru tried to ouster Mugabe as it was maintained during firing Mujuru. The problem, if anything, is Mujuru’s refusal to support the king maker Grace in her quest for power. It can be simply said that Mujuru was fired because of Mrs Mugabe’s vendetta and act of vengeance.
For Mrs Mugabe power is a family business. Thus, Mujuru had to support and respect her the way she did to her husband, the president. In other words Mrs Mugabe wanted to be treated like the president she share bedroom and be with. This was very hard especially for the person who sacrificed her youth fighting for the freedom Grace and others are abusing and misusing. In this game of power enjoying and abusing, Grace was appointed a head of ZANU-PF’s Women’s Wing before being appointed secretary or minister for Women’s Affairs in the same week.
Grace, unschooled,gullible, unwise and impatient has become a power to reckon with. Whoever teams up with her surely, ends up being promoted to power as it recently happened to her friend and chief organizer, Oppah Muchinguri, who was appointed secretary of Transport and Social Welfare. Who knew that a divorcee and a mere clerk would claim such ladders easily and quickly? These are the rewards of bedroom politics.
Again, how many Graces does Africa have now? Apart from Mrs Mugabe, Janet Museveni the wife of Ugandan long-time ruler Yoweri Museveni is another king maker. Mrs Musevni came to limelight after running from Member of Parliament and won. For the first time, the first lady became an MP which is arguably lesser position compared to being first lady. Thereafter, her husband appointed her a minister responsible for oil-rich area of Karamoja Affairs. Rumours in Uganda have it that Janet is groomed to take over after her husband. Many people related to Mrs Museveni including her sons in law were once accused of trying to secure plots in the area. Again, for the first lady to be an MP or/and minister doesn't it create conflict of interests? Who cares in countries were bedroom politics are rife? Who can stop such a first lady if at all she shares bed with the big man whose weakness and strength she knows too well?
Looking at what transpired in Zimbabwe, first it become difficult to note if Mrs Mugabe is ushering the beginning of the end of her husband’s long-time regime. Secondly, will she succeed? If she does, does she have what it take to run the country? Will her husband, thanks to old age surrender everything to his wife even if it means bad ending? Does Mrs Mugabe know the murky waters she is entering? Will Zimbabwe let Mrs Mugabe fulfill her mission and ambitions?
Given that Mrs Mugabe’s scheme seems to have succeeded by drowning her political man-made enemy, will she achieve what she is dreaming about? Will Emerson “Crocodile” Mnangangwa who was appointed VP let her fulfill her dreams? What a tough encounter that pities a croc against power hunger lioness!
In sum, we’ll next week visit another country where bedroom politics are ubiquitous as the presidents scheme to see to it that their sons are stride into their shoes shall anything happen. Importantly, we need to ask what Africa has to do away with such abuse of the office of the president.
Source: The African Executive Magazine today.
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