Grace Mugabe - special in her own way

For a long time now, the first lady has endured the scrutiny of treacherous newspapers and the wrath of wagging tongues. That should not go unchallenged. Her only crime is that she is the wife of President Mugabe, himself, a man of great revolutionary stamina. Subsequently, she has suffered huge embarrassment after newspapers spread malicious untruths about her. Some newspapers give her nicknames which are not consistent with a person of her honourable calibre. They also thrive to tarnish her moral image through manufacturing various fabrications such as corruption and wasting state resources to finance her personal business kingdom. Suffice to say, they seek to frustrate her conviction and undermine her flourishing legacy. Of course, all the allegations are both malicious and fictitious and the time has come to set the record straight.

Indeed facts and figures speak for themselves: thousands of orphaned children have benefited from Grace Mugabe's care-giving institution which is located a few kilometres outside Harare. Additionally, since her inception as leader of the Women's League, she has introduced numerous income generating projects for women and set-up a fundraising plan to implement them. Her strength is that she remains resolute and focused on her initial assignment without showing a hint of resentment or bitterness. Contrary to the money laundering allegations, Grace Mugabe is essentially a successful business woman who has built an empire from very modest beginnings. She is the proud proprietor of Gushungo Diary, the largest producer of milk products in the country. With a wide variety of products ranging from ice cream, cheese, yogurt and milk, her business has been growing and promises to expand continentally.

It is not fair to deprive Grace Mugabe of her Constitutional rights. The bottom line is that Grace Mugabe is a Zimbabwean who has the legitimate right to operate business ventures of her choice. She is also constitutionally permitted to contest any political confrontation in Zimbabwe, if she so desired. Despite her vast business empire which requires special attention, she dedicates most of her time on national assignments. Her contributions to Zimbabwe are incredible. Since the beginning of 2014, she confronted corruption and condemned divisive behaviour without fear or favour. In the true spirit of integrity, she exposed numerous disruptive individuals in December 2014 who had long threatened to destroy the entire Zanu PF establishment.

Apart from being administrator of her private enterprises, she is also an incredible mother who understands the consequences of indulgence. Grace raises her children as if they belonged to an ordinary family. She teaches them the virtues of integrity and hard work despite the financial benefits that naturally come with her status. She is also a devoted Christian who barely misses Sunday services despite her pressing schedule. Amai Grace Mugabe also performs basic domestic chores such as cooking, washing and ironing for her children and husband. Suffice to say, she is able to management the blend of all professional and domestic responsibilities without short-changing the other. My admiration for Amai Grace Mugabe is colossal because facts and figures indicate that she is a selfless woman concerned about the welfare of all Zimbabweans.

And yet, in the beginning, it was never anticipated that she would become the bearer of various national obligations due to her modest upbringing.

Initially, very few expected her to be the principal of a national vision to protect our sovereignty and territorial integrity alongside President Mugabe. Nor did we anticipate that she would be the woman to address matters concerning women's rights. Thus far, she has carried all her duties with absolute astuteness.

She also has a background of sewing and fashion designing which explains her deep fondness for fashion. In a clear sign of immense creativity, Grace Mugabe designs most of her stunning, yet, conservative dresses. By comparison, she is the most presentable and astute first lady in Africa. Indeed, it is hard to think of another first lady who is remotely comparable.

Being a proud holder of a PhD which she received in September 2014, her political shrewdness has been rising sharply over the last few years. Her rise was due to her ability to confront treacherous and divisive individuals in Zanu PF, assisted by her aptitude to resist the deception of newspapers.

Personally, I have never met Amai Grace Mugabe but my knowledge of her is sufficient to make a fair conclusion about her moral fibre. She is a reputable first lady whose immense contributions to Zimbabwe have been overlooked for too long. Although she is not a complete saint, the good she has done far outweighs the bad they have reported. In the end, she has been strengthened by the evil she has endured over the years.