Mupfumira angers Mnangagwa's wife?

FORMER Tourism Minister, Prisca Mupfumira, reportedly infuriated First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa after bulldozing her way onto the top table during a recent function held at Mhondoro-Mubaira.

Mupfumira, who controversially bounced back into the Zanu-PF Central Committee following recent elections, is said to have challenged Mnangagwa's security aides and forced herself onto the VVIP seating area.

Sources told NewZimbabwe.com the all-too-controlling First Lady was launching government's poultry project at Mubaira Growth Point when the run-in took place.

The First Lady was also reportedly rattled with the crowd's rapturous applause when Mupfumira was introduced at the Mubaira event.

"Auxillia Mnangagwa was not happy as Mupfumira fought with her security to allow her passage to sit at the high table which she eventually did," said the source.

Mashonaland West Zanu-PF Provincial Chairman, Mary Mliswa-Chikoka, reportedly told the party's Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) meeting held in Chinhoyi Friday the First Lady was not happy over the incident, although she did not mention any name.

When the fiasco happened, Mliswa-Chikoka was in Namibia for a reciprocal visit to Kavango, where there was an agri-business exhibition.

In a bid to rebuke Mupfumira for having "embarrassed" the local Zanu-PF leadership and for being disrespectful of President Emmerson Mnangagwa's wife, Mliswa-Chikoka used the latest PEC meeting to undress the ex-Cabinet minister.

"There was an embarrassing incident which happened when our First Lady came to Mhondoro, one of our Central Committee members forced herself to the podium where the First Lady sat, which did not go down with Amai as this member had a scuffle with Amai's security details to sit on the VVIP table," Mliswa-Chikoka told PEC delegates.

The province was now expected to apologise to the First Lady.

"Please note that you can only go to the VVIP podium through invitation as now we need to apologise to the First Lady over the incident," she said.

Chegutu East Constituency Member of Parliament (MP) and Central Committee member, Webster Shamu, is said to have stood up to Mliswa-Chikoka saying she stretched her authority too far by exposing misdeeds of a senior member in ‘public.'

"A Central Committee member is a senior party member and any issues to do with them have to be discussed on a relevant platform and not here as it has to be dealt with in a way that does not make our leaders lose respect. As Chairman, you spoke in riddles on the issue," Shamu fumed.

Although efforts to get comment from Mupfumira were fruitless by time of publishing, sources said she insists she was initially seated in a VIP tent at the function, and was invited to the podium by unnamed officials and never had a scuffle with security details.