'Dr' Grace Mugabe fires employees over food

FIRST Lady Grace Mugabe has reportedly fired about 30 domestic workers at the First Family's rural Kutama home after they protested for being fed on a plain-sadza-and-vegetable diet

Reliable sources close to the family said the workers, who were used to being fed on meat diets, refused to eat vegetables, courting the anger of Grace who sent them packing two weeks ago.

The majority of the affected workers were members of the Matibiri clan, who are President Robert Mugabe's blood relatives and were in charge of the family's piggery and poultry projects, among other chores at Kutama in Zvimba.

Although Grace's spokesperson Lawrence Kamwi could not be reached for comment, a Mugabe employee, who declined to be named, said: "Yes, it happened, but who are you and what is your interest?"

A member of the Mugabe family who also spoke on condition of anonymity yesterday said: "The workers have been trying to engage family members at the weekend for a way forward."

The family member said before dismissing the workers, Grace had declared that she was in charge of the First Family's domestic and political affairs and her decisions could not be reversed.

Another relative said Grace had never been in good books with most of the Mugabe family members since she started flirting with the Zanu PF leader and gave birth to Bona while Mugabe's first wife, Sally, was still alive.

Since then, her relationship with most of Mugabe's relatives, including domestic workers from the Matibiri side, has not been rosy.