Grace Mugabe address Africa's spies' spouses

Zimbabwe's first Lady Grace Mugabe yesterday urged spouses of directors-general of intelligence from African countries who are accompanying their partners to the 10th Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (Cissa) to be Zimbabwe's ambassadors.

Addressing the spouses after touring the First Family's Gushungo Dairy Estate and the Amai Mugabe School and Children's Home in Mazowe, Grace Mugabe said Zimbabwe continued to receive negative media publicity when the situation was different on the ground.

"I hope you are going to be our ambassadors and preach about peace and what you have seen in this country," she said.

"Enjoy your peace and enjoy your stay here."

Amai Mugabe said she was one of the beneficiaries of the land reform programme. She said she had to apply in order to acquire the land which she has put under various projects such as the dairy and the children's home.

"In 2007, we started the construction here (at the children's home) and I want all the children to grow in a comfortable environment," Amai Mugabe said.

She said the children's home had a nursery school to cater for infants.

Mugabe said they had future plans to construct a hospital in the area that would help the Mazowe community.

She said children at the school were paying school fees to sustain the projects, with some of the money paying teachers and buying food and clothing.

"We have to maintain the standards and hopefully we will have the school running to full capacity," said Amai Mugabe

"I think people like the facilities we are putting up for the children here. What we are offering here is out of this world in terms of quality."

Mugabe said they used part of the farm to grow their own food to feed the children.

Mrs Willia Bonyongwe, wife of Director General of the Central Intelligence Organisation Retired Major General Happyton Bonyongwe said she brought her fellow spouses to the farm to gain better understanding of Zimbabwe.

"Today you meet an example of a lady who exhibits entrepreneurship combined with philanthropy," she said.

"This is the resilient side of Zimbabwe - farming, enterprise, value addition and compassion.

"These are attributes the press, especially the international press will not expose. The establishment of this children's home is a powerful statement to Zimbabweans and all women that safeguarding our children cannot be postponed to some other date."

Mrs Bonyongwe said as wives of Cissa directors-general, the spouses needed to understand the socio-economic developments around them.

She said the view of society on African women has been that of dependency. However, she said Zimbabwe raised female liberation fighters, female doctors, judges, lawyers, entrepreneurs and high profile politicians despite the stereotype.

Mrs Eunice Olushola Oladeji from Nigeria said they were impressed and appreciated what they saw during the tour.

"It is very rare to see a woman doing all this," she said.

"It shows you (Mugabe) are a very good mother especially with your position."

The spouses donated various goods and food stuffs to the First Lady's projects.

Mrs Bonyongwe was accompanied by her fellow spouses who included Mrs Mariam Saine (Gambia), Mrs Annie Leonard (Indonesia), Mrs Toure Aminata (Mali), Mrs Sella Mwanambale (Zambia) and Mrs Amelie Banga-Eboumi (Gabon).

The Cissa conference began on May 1 and will run until Wednesday.

It was formed in April 2004 to promote security-related policies and programmes that encourage peace, stability and development on the continent.

The need for greater co-operation in intelligence became evident in the wake of Zimbabwe's capture of a plane-load of mercenaries of various nationalities who were on their way to stage a coup in Equatorial Guinea on March 7, 2001.

This situation provoked stakeholders in the intelligence services in Africa to rethink.