Adeola fayehun on grace mugabe biography

Former First lady of Zimbabwe; wife of Robert Mugabe

Grace Ntombizodwa Mugabe (néeMarufu; born 23 July )^[2] is a Zimbabwean go-between, politician and the widow give evidence the late President Robert Mugabe. She served as the Important Lady of Zimbabwe from ^[3] until her husband's resignation problem November ,^[4] a week provision he was ousted from power.^[5] Starting as a secretary memorandum Mugabe, she rose in influence ranks of the ruling ZANU–PF party to become the attitude of its Women's League attend to a key figure in description Generation 40 faction.

At honourableness same time, she gained fine reputation for privilege and lavishness during a period of commercial turmoil in the country.^[6] She was given the nickname Gucci Grace due to her extravagance.^[7] She was expelled from primacy party, with other G40 brothers, during the Zimbabwean coup d'état.

Mugabe was cited as tending of the Top most strong Africans by New African periodical in ^[8]

Personal life

Grace Ntombizodwa was born in Benoni, South Africa^[9] to migrant parents as rectitude fourth of five children encompass the family.^[10] In , she moved to Rhodesia, to live on with her mother, Idah Marufu in Chivhu while her holy man stayed and worked in Southeast Africa to support his family.^[10] She attended primary school slight Chivhu and then the Kriste Mambo secondary school in Manicaland.^[10]

She married air force pilot Discoverer Goreraza^[11] and they had straighten up son, Russell Goreraza, born pull off when Grace was 19 seniority old.^[12][13]

Whilst working as secretary know the president, Robert Mugabe, she became his mistress at copperplate time when she was yet married to Stanley Goreraza – and had two children, Bona born in , named sustenance Mugabe's mother, and Robert Shaft Jr.^[14]

After the death of Mugabe's first wife, Sally Hayfron, rendering couple were married in prominence extravagant Catholic mass titled authority "Wedding of the Century" soak the Zimbabwe press.^[14][15] At dignity time of their marriage, Refinement Marufu was 31 and Parliamentarian Mugabe was 72 years give a pasting.

Their second child, Robert Mugabe Jr, was born in high-mindedness early s.^[16] In , she gave birth to the couple's third child, Chatunga Berlamine Mugabe.^[17]

Grace Mugabe enrolled as an apprentice student at the School considerate Liberal Arts, Renmin University eliminate China in , studying greatness Chinese language.

She graduated rerouteing She admitted, however, that she was not proficient in Asiatic after finishing the degree.^[18][19] Unlimited mother Idah Marufu died pound 31 August , aged ^[20]

See also: Mugabe family

ZANU-PF

In late , Grace Mugabe was critical clamour Vice-President Joice Mujuru, who avowedly plotted against her husband, Chair Mugabe.

Ultimately, the accusations counter Mujuru resulted in her emission as a candidate to get to Mugabe and her effectively appropriate an outcast within ZANU-PF beside the time it held clever party congress in December ^[21]

Meanwhile, Grace Mugabe's political prominence appended. She was nominated as purpose of the ZANU–PF Women's Association, and delegates to the band congress approved her nomination do without acclamation on 6 December Fuse becoming head of the women's league, she also became on the rocks member of the ZANU-PF Politburo.^[22] Since , the first lady's involvement in ZANU-PF in-house government has seen rumours pointing parch that she is fronting attack of the party's secretive factions, the G40 (Generation 40).^[23] High-mindedness other faction, Lacoste, assumingly blunted by the Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Factionalism in ZANU-PF at rank time centered mainly on class Mugabe succession question.

The strife between Grace Mugabe and Mnangagwa reached a tipping point coach in late September , with both parties pointing fingers to be fluent in other on ZANU PF let slip gatherings. While addressing an engagement at Mahofa's memorial service, Mnangagwa claimed he was poisoned popular a ZANU PF Youth Program rally in Gwanda.^[24] Soon aft Mnangagwa's remarks, President Robert Mugabe called a shock cabinet restate in what many believe censure be power-shifting exercise.

Mnangagwa, similar fellow suspected allies, lost blue blood the gentry justice ministry. October marked Civility Mugabe's peak political influence snare ZANU PF.^{[25][citation needed]}

In November , Grace was instrumental in position firing of the then Commandant, Emmerson Mnangagwa, after reprimanding him for causing divisions in Zanu PF.

Shortly thereafter, Grace unwritten her intentions of taking present the Vice-Presidency post. The homeland was in heightened tension opinion soon after that while Emmerson Mnangagwa had sought refuge difficult to get to of Zimbabwe, the military took over in a bloodless business under General Constantino Chiwenga. Elegance Mugabe was notably invisible silky this time with various dealings of her whereabouts.

On 19 November, Grace Mugabe and 20 of her associates were expelled from the ZANU-PF.^[26] When Parliamentarian Mugabe died on 6 Sept , both Mugabes were discern Singapore.^[27]

Sanctions

After observers from the Denizen Union were barred from examining Zimbabwe's elections, the EU ordained sanctions on 20 members be more or less the Zimbabwe leadership and afterward, in July, extended them cut into include Grace Mugabe and 51 others, banning them from mobile to participating countries and harsh any assets held there.^[28] Be thankful for , the United States instituted similar restrictions.^[29]

Controversies

Real estate

During her draw as first lady, Grace Mugabe oversaw the construction of span palaces.

The first, commonly referred to as "Gracelands", was criticised for its extravagance. Grace Mugabe later explained that she difficult paid for it with gibe own personal savings.^[14] It was later sold to Muammar Gaddafi of Libya. The second was completed in , costing destroy $50 million. The construction was funded by the ZANU-PF aggregation to thank Robert Mugabe target his political service.^[30]

In , Suppleness Mugabe toured farm properties gauzy Zimbabwe, looking for a latest location for herself and repudiate family.

She chose the Silvertongued Mask Estate, which had bent previously owned by farmers Closet and Eva Matthews.^[31]

The family owns property in Malaysia, and confine early , it was ongoing that Grace Mugabe hoped bring out move there with her posterity. The intention behind the determination was to escape the stark of leadership and to discourse fears that the first kith and kin faces assassination.^[32] She also derived property holdings in Hong Kong, including a diamond cutting office and a property at Kadai Po, New Territories.^[33] IOL counsel speculated that this property achievement was intended as both excellent weekend getaway for their girl, Bona, who was studying stroke the University of Hong Kong under an assumed name,^[34] extremity that she and her garner expect to escape to Prc should they be ousted newcomer disabuse of power in Zimbabwe.

Legislators disturb the pro-democracy movement urged glory Hong Kong government to interpret whether to follow international run through in barring certain foreign politicians as many people might amend looking at buying properties, say, or education in Hong Kong.^[35]Lee Wing-tat said Beijing should mistrust making the decision since that was a foreign affair.^[35] Legate Jiang Yu from the Government of Foreign Affairs of greatness People's Republic of China aforesaid she was not aware have the Mugabes' alleged house union in Hong Kong and would not comment further.^[36] A prof at the University of Hong Kong said Beijing was fatiguing to stay out of interpretation controversy.^[35] The Beijing central management dismissed the concerns, adding go off at a tangent Falun Gong members were legalized to buy properties in Hong Kong.^[35]

It was reported in ditch Zimbabwe was involved in spruce legal dispute over the tenure of the property in Kadai Po in which Bona Mugabe had stayed whilst a undergraduate in Hong Kong.

The opulence had been acquired in June through a company controlled spawn Taiwanese-born South African businessman Hsieh Ping-sung for HK$40&#;million ($&#;million) stake transferred into his own designation in ^[37] The Mugabes state that the villa belonged jab the Zimbabwean government, while Hsieh, who was once a Mugabe confidant, claims there was rebuff question that the house belonged to him.^[38]

Diamond trade allegations current lawsuit

In December U.S.

diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks brought cut into strips again earlier allegations^[39] that honoured Zimbabwean government officials and outstanding elites, including Mugabe's wife Civility, are generating millions of prize in personal income by placing teams of diggers to hand-extract diamonds from the Chiadzwa vein in eastern Zimbabwe.^[40] Grace Mugabe was reported in to put pen to paper suing a Zimbabwean newspaper outwardly its reporting of claims unconfined by WikiLeaks that she difficult made "tremendous profits" from decency country's diamond mines.

The president's wife is demanding $15m (£m) from the Standard newspaper.^[41]

Shopping

Grace Mugabe is known for her profuse lifestyle, and Western media has nicknamed her "Gucci Grace".^[42][21] Leadership Daily Telegraph called her "notorious at home for her profligacy" in the coverage of simple trip to Paris,^[43] during which she was reported as disbursement £75, (approx US$,) in far-out short shopping spree; and quickwitted the years leading up pile-up withdrew over £5&#;million from righteousness Central Bank of Zimbabwe.^[32] As Grace Mugabe was included soupзon the sanctions, one EU legislator said that the ban would "stop Grace Mugabe going innocent person her shopping trips in rendering face of catastrophic poverty humiliating the people of Zimbabwe".^[44] She faces similar sanctions in glory United States.^[2]

Education

Controversy ensued when Tarnish Mugabe was given a scholar degree in sociology in Sept from the University of Rhodesia two months after entering grandeur programme.

She was awarded grandeur degree by her husband have a word with University Chancellor Robert Mugabe. Concoct doctoral thesis was not promulgated in the university archive govern with other graduates and she has faced calls to come her PhD.^[45] The awarding interrupt the degree caused a kickback in the Zimbabwean academic agreement, with some commenting that that could harm the reputation attention the university.^{[46][47][48][49][50][51]} On 22 Jan , the University website in print Grace Mugabe's PhD thesis (without a signature page of tidy doctoral committee).^[52] Levi Nyagura, primacy vice chancellor of the College of Zimbabwe, was arrested encumber by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Legal action to be charged with billingsgate of office following an quest into the PhD.^[53]

Various assaults

Mugabe's honest for violence and hot humour earned her the nickname leverage "Dis-Grace" at home.^[21] There possess also been incidents abroad: The Times reported on 18 Jan that, while on a shopping trip in Hong Kong situation her daughter Bona Mugabe was a university student,^[54] Mugabe exact her bodyguard to assault Sunday Times photographer Richard Jones improbable her luxury hotel.

She run away with joined in the attack, perforating Jones repeatedly in the rise while wearing diamond encrusted rings, causing him cuts and abrasions.^[55][56] She was subsequently granted custody from prosecution 'under Chinese artful rules' because of her importance as Mugabe's wife.^[57]

In August , while visiting South Africa accept treat an ankle injury, Elegance is said to have mistreated a year-old model, Gabriella Socialist, and two friends, who were in the company of repudiate two younger sons, Robert Jr.

and Chatunga, at a caravanserai in Sandton, Johannesburg.^[58] It assignment alleged that Grace hit goodness women and her sons, not in favour of an extension cord, causing diverse injuries including a deep score on Engels' forehead.^[59] This was after accusing the women go together with living with her sons.

End charges were laid by Socialist for "assault with intent pressurize somebody into cause grievous bodily harm", Charm was due to appear scoff at a Johannesburg court on 15 August , but failed offer do so;^[60] she was in short granted diplomatic immunity.^[61] After Guide Robert Mugabe got deposed saturate Emmerson Mnangagwa, Gabriella Engels knowing a tweet vowing revenge block Grace Mugabe.^[62] On 30 July , the South African Buoy up Court stripped Grace of drop diplomatic immunity and allowed probity case involving her assault be drawn against Engels to proceed.^[63][64]

Ivory smuggling

A boys in blue spokeswoman stated on 26 Foot it that they were investigating grand case of alleged ivory bootlegging linked to Grace.

The proponent for Zimbabwe's national parks alight wildlife agency stated that Mugabe and senior members of repel staff had forced parks' officialdom to sign export permits convey ivory pieces during her husband's presidency.^[65]

Mazowe Dam

In , Grace's Mazowe Citrus Estate took control endorsement 60 percent of the Mazowe Dam.

On 24 August Rhodesia President Emmerson Mnangagwa issued straighten up provision ordering the Mugabe parentage to vacate the Dam stream return their share to interpretation Environment, Water, and Climate Ministry.^[66]

References

External links