Grace Mugabe dresses down minister

FIRST LADY Grace Mugabe reportedly lashed out at Home Affairs deputy minister Ziyambi Ziyambi at a recent Zanu-PF briefing in Kadoma as factionalism rocking the ruling party refuses to die down, the Newsday reported.

Ziyambi, who is related to President Robert Mugabe, had allegedly tried to block Grace's trip to Kadoma where she launched a housing project.

The minister allegedly claimed there were attempts to use her to cleanse names of some party officials linked to the "Gamatox" faction.

During a briefing, Grace allegedly told Ziyambi that although she knew they were related, it was her first time to meet him in person.

A source privy to the events said Ziyambi had only learnt of Grace's Kadoma trip through an invitation as organisers had skipped him in the planning phase.

"Ziyambi did not know about the trip and only learnt through an invitation and that is when he questioned the whole issue," the source said.

"In the meeting held before the launch, Grace gave him a tongue-lashing for trying to stop the trip."

However, Ziyambi denied ever being rebuked by the First Lady, saying it was news to him.

"I don't know what you are talking about. I am hearing it for the first time from you," he said.