Mugabe bans Grace rallies

President Robert Mugabe has given in to pressure from the army and war veterans to put a stop to First Lady Grace's controversial rallies "because they had become a national security threat."

Since her dramatic entry into mainstream politics in mid-2014, Grace has addressed a series of rallies, most of which have been aimed at raising her political profile and create a platform to undo the political careers of her opponents within the ruling Zanu-PF party.

Following the Chiweshe rally two weeks ago that seemed to set the tone for Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa's removal and potshots at the country's securocrats, Mugabe after representations from the army's top brass reportedly ordered the rallies to stop forthwith.