Mujuru fetes US icon

Former vice-president Joice Mujuru was among an impressive list of leading politicians and businesspeople that spoke at a private reception for broadcaster and United States civil rights doyenne Xernona Clayton in Dubai yesterday.

Clayton (85), former vice-president of United States media conglomerate Turner Broadcasting and founder of the Trumpet Awards, which honours the achievements of African Americans, will be a guest speaker at the Sheroes Forum being held at Dubai's Marriott Al Jadaf Hotel, starting today up to Tuesday.

Dubai-based African American businesswoman Kimberly Mahmud, owner and managing director of Ndust companies, co-hosted the reception with Erieka Bennett, head of mission for the African Union/Diaspora African Forum, which aims to encourage Africans in the diaspora to help build a better Africa.

Clayton's prime-time chat show, broadcast from Atlanta, George, was the first by an African-American in the southern states.

She worked in the US civil rights movement with Martin Luther King Jr, and was close friends with his wife Coretta Scott King.

She serves on the board of the King Centre for Nonviolent Social Change to help build a better Africa.

Other speakers at the event were former Malawian president Joyce Banda, Erieka Bennett, founder and head of mission for the Diaspora African Forum, and an array of businesspeople, politicians and non-governmental organisations representatives.

Meanwhile, Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo had claimed on Twitter that Mujuru went to Dubai to receive funding for her Zimbabwe People First Party (ZimPF).

"Joice Mujuru, looking bemused here at launch of her @ZimPeopleFirst, left for Dubai last night to meet funders," Moyo tweeted with a picture of Mujuru after she announced the launch of her party in February.

ZimPF shot back saying: "So a pvt [private] citizen can only travel outside to meet funders? So when your dear leader [President Robert Mugabe] goes overseas, it's to fundraise? Now we know."