'Grace Mugabe is a queen,' says Mnangagwa

First Lady Grace Mugabe is a "queen" and there is nothing sinister about this week's visit and endorsement by traditional chiefs, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs minister Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Wednesday.

Chiefs from across the country on Tuesday visited the First Lady's Mazowe orphanage and gave their support to her impending role as leader of the ruling party Zanu-PF's women's league.

Responding to a question from MDC-T Kuwadzana legislator, Nelson Chamisa, on whether it was proper for traditional leaders to meddle in party politics following their visit to the First Lady's Iron Mask Farm, Mnangagwa said there was "nothing amiss" with the traditional leaders "because she is queen of every one of us".

"I will not go much into Constitution sections the honourable   member slept memorising last  night, every country has its  owners. I do not see anything wrong with chiefs visiting Mambokadzi (the queen). If the queen voluntarily decides to be part of the ruling class and assist her family, why should she not be allowed to do so?" Mnangagwa asked.

In asking the question, Chamisa quoted the Constitution saying it barred traditional leaders from participating in active politics or partisanship, hence their visit and subsequent endorsement of the president's wife to lead the Zanu-PF women's league was in violation of the supreme law of the land.

"They (chiefs) are allowed to visit the queen and even you, she is your queen and you have the right to visit her," Mnangagwa said, amid  laughter and applause from the floor.

Traditional leaders across   the country  affirmed the nomination, by the Zanu-PF women's league, of the First Lady to take up the position of politburo secretary responsible for women in the former guerrilla movement ahead of the party's elective congress set for December.

However, in a bizarre turn of events, Chamisa was later on dismissed from the house for improper behaviour by the deputy speaker, Marbel Chinomona, after he answered his mobile phone inside the chambers against parliamentary standing orders.

While leaving the house, Finance minister, Patrick Chinamasa who was on the floor responding to a question, chided his ex-fellow cabinet minister saying the MDC-T MP is a "nuisance".

"Thank you for dismissing the honorable member, he is such a nuisance," said Chinamasa. An attempt by another MDC-T member Prosper Mutseyami, to force Chinamasa to withdraw his statement on Chamisa failed to help as the deputy speaker ruled that he was out of order.