MDC-T slams 'lavish spender' Grace Mugabe

THE MDC-T has taken a potshot at First Lady Grace Mugabe's lavish spending as citizens grapple with devastating floods across the country.

In a statement yesterday, the country's main opposition party accused government and senior leaders in the ruling party of skewed priorities.

The MDC-T took aim at Grace's $1,3 million expenditure in a botched diamond ring deal that is now the subject of a gripping High Court case in Zimbabwe.

"If individuals in high places can afford to spend $1,3 million in anniversary rings, it means we can afford to do more for deserving situations such as the disaster in Matabeleland," the statement read.

"It is sad that the rains pounding the country have led to a humanitarian crisis of great magnitude, particularly in Matabeleland North province where we have lost villagers and livestock while some of the human and animal life has had to be evacuated."

Instead of attending to the desperate flood situation in the country, President Robert Mugabe has been traversing the globe reportedly to seek medical attention. Mugabe passed through Zimbabwe at the weekend and was yesterday attending Ghana's 60th independence anniversary celebrations.

The main opposition party said it was saddened by the statistics of flood victims.

"The statistics make for sad reading that speaks to a national catastrophe: the floods have claimed six lives, 855 marooned villagers have been airlifted, while among those rescued were 86 terminally ill people and 501 school-going children," the MDC-T said.

The flash floods have swept away crops and key infrastructure such as bridges, roads and houses.

The MDC-T said key institutions such as the Civil Protection Unit were severely incapacitated to deal with the dangerous situation facing mainly rural peasants, urging citizens to help out.