Opinion / Columnist
Grace, Robert Mugabe hypocrisy shocking
02 Apr 2018 at 19:49hrs | Views
Land invasions were pushed into fashion by the Zanu-PF government way back in the year 2000 as the party desperately tried to find other ways to placate an increasingly restive population.
Then, the law was swiftly amended to legitimise these otherwise illegal moves that were led by veterans of Zimbabwe's liberation war.
Former president Robert Mugabe is on record as having declared then that the courts had nothing to do with the land question. In other words, the country's Judiciary could not be involved where past injustices were being righted.
Almost two decades down the line, former first lady Grace Mugabe must have forgotten how her husband used to treat land invaders.
A recent edition of the Daily News carried a report on the invasion of the Mugabes Mazowe farm. Recent media reports suggested that the former first family owns about 21 farms.
Zimbabweans are aware that the growth of the former first family's Mazowe empire actually displaced some innocent citizens, particularly at Arnold Farm, where we were made to understand that Grace wanted to create a wildlife sanctuary at the expense of human settlers, some of whom had been at Arnold for decades.
Today, the former first family, by far nowhere close to the poorest in the country, cry foul when people invade their property.
How things change!
No one could ever imagine Grace going to a police station to file a report. The former first lady, who barely five months back was all powerful, could virtually make anyone cringe as she conveniently leveraged on the power and authority her husband used to command.
Grace, a holder of a doctoral degree that is being investigated, has ruffled many feathers at the peak of her power.
Last year, she had to exploit her husband's presidency then to evade arrest in South Africa after she was accused of assaulting model Gabriella Engels.
Her abrasive character has never been adored by any right-thinking Zimbabwean.
The Mazowe gold panners are citizens who have every right to exploit the resources of the country, especially when there is evidence that there are some who own more than they deserve.
The case of the Manzou villagers is still fresh in our memories and the displacement of those desperate villagers is not morally correct.
These are people who also have lives to live and are entitled to a fair share of the national cake. If it is true that the Mugabes own over twenty farms as reported, then they do not deserve any sympathy over the invasion of the Mazowe property.
At some point, the expression that says; "What goes around comes around", seems to gain credence.
Then, the law was swiftly amended to legitimise these otherwise illegal moves that were led by veterans of Zimbabwe's liberation war.
Former president Robert Mugabe is on record as having declared then that the courts had nothing to do with the land question. In other words, the country's Judiciary could not be involved where past injustices were being righted.
Almost two decades down the line, former first lady Grace Mugabe must have forgotten how her husband used to treat land invaders.
A recent edition of the Daily News carried a report on the invasion of the Mugabes Mazowe farm. Recent media reports suggested that the former first family owns about 21 farms.
Zimbabweans are aware that the growth of the former first family's Mazowe empire actually displaced some innocent citizens, particularly at Arnold Farm, where we were made to understand that Grace wanted to create a wildlife sanctuary at the expense of human settlers, some of whom had been at Arnold for decades.
Today, the former first family, by far nowhere close to the poorest in the country, cry foul when people invade their property.
How things change!
No one could ever imagine Grace going to a police station to file a report. The former first lady, who barely five months back was all powerful, could virtually make anyone cringe as she conveniently leveraged on the power and authority her husband used to command.
Grace, a holder of a doctoral degree that is being investigated, has ruffled many feathers at the peak of her power.
Last year, she had to exploit her husband's presidency then to evade arrest in South Africa after she was accused of assaulting model Gabriella Engels.
Her abrasive character has never been adored by any right-thinking Zimbabwean.
The Mazowe gold panners are citizens who have every right to exploit the resources of the country, especially when there is evidence that there are some who own more than they deserve.
The case of the Manzou villagers is still fresh in our memories and the displacement of those desperate villagers is not morally correct.
These are people who also have lives to live and are entitled to a fair share of the national cake. If it is true that the Mugabes own over twenty farms as reported, then they do not deserve any sympathy over the invasion of the Mazowe property.
At some point, the expression that says; "What goes around comes around", seems to gain credence.
Source - dailynews
All articles and letters published on Bulawayo24 have been independently written by members of Bulawayo24's community. The views of users published on Bulawayo24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Bulawayo24. Bulawayo24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.
