Eddie Cross mocks 'fallen' Grace Mugabe

BULAWAYO South legislator Edie Cross (pictured) has mocked former First Lady Grace Mugabe over her recent spate of misfortunes, saying she must not cry foul as she had also grabbed several properties from powerless individuals during her husband former President Robert Mugabe's reign.

This came amid reports that illegal artisanal miners invaded Grace's farm in Mazowe last week where they destroyed citrus fruit and irrigation equipment disrupting farming activities.

At the weekend, suspected burglars also reportedly broke into her orphanage and stole some laptops and floor tiles.

Cross, in his Easter Friday message to Grace, said: "You also claimed that many citrus trees in full production and about 10 years old on average, were being cut down and dug up by your invaders. Now I know that some of your properties were in fact taken illegally from a public company and included mature citrus orchards.

"I do not think you paid for any of this, so the pumps, pipelines, power installations, roads, packing sheds, farm buildings, homesteads and staff accommodation, tractors and equipment do not in legal terms belong to you at all, so why the anger? Easy come, easy go. Just walk away and go home to any one of your many mansions and live out your life on your husband's ill-gotten gains."

Cross accused Grace of causing untold suffering after grabbing farms and property and throwing several families into poverty.

"Now I was wondering, are you the same 'Grace Mugabe' who was the wife of the President of Zimbabwe when he was allowing thugs of various backgrounds to invade private properties of local investors. How many times did you sit on a public platform in front of the people of Zimbabwe and raise your hand in an angry fist and call for invasions of private property and the forced removal of the legitimate owners?

"I am sure you appreciated the fact that these investors, unlike you, had nothing outside of their business. I think you knew that many, if not most of these hapless individuals would go on to live in penury; dying from stress-related maladies and being buried by their friends and colleagues because they could not afford the price of a coffin," Cross wrote.

The Bulawayo South legislator warned Grace of having her business empire being declared insolvent "for not honouring loan obligations on grounds of being the First Lady" before advising her to urgently secure her investments under the Companies Act.

"My personal advice to you is to employ a good accountant and a lawyer and get them to review your "investment portfolio". I am sure they will find that your equity in the business is negative and their best advice will be to go into liquidation and seek the protection of the Companies Act — because right now, nothing else will protect you from your creditors who are many.

"You may be able to hang onto the 'Blue Roof' but in your new circumstances you may well discover this also is now a liability and just too expensive to maintain — perhaps you can donate the 'house' to the Harare Children's Home as an extension or to 'Kidscan' as a luxury rehabilitation centre for kids with cancer," Cross said.