Zimbabwean First Lady, a disgrace of international proportions

In her own words, Zimbabwean First Lady Grace Mugabe disapproves violence on women and I will quote her verbatim, "…as head of ZANU PF Women's league, my number one goal is to endeavor that no woman ever suffers from assault or violence of any kind and those who use violence against women shall face the full power of the law"

Before the ink dries on this speech by Grace Mugabe, we learn with shock and disbelief the embarrassing news that the wife to Dictator Mugabe violently assaulted Gabriella Engels, a young woman from South Africa. As if that was not enough, Grace Mugabe goes on to play fugitive with the South African law as she reportedly dodged arrest with her whereabouts unknown to the authorities.

The uncouth and barbaric manner in which Grace behaves comes right in the middle of August, the month women are celebrated and their rights promoted. It is the greatest humiliation and embarrassment to the Zimbabwean community that Grace, instead of observing the rights of fellow women she is at the forefront impeding on them.

As ZAPU we then wonder what Grace Mugabe understands about violence on women, that is if she at all understands it. Her behavior is synonymous with one who wrongly understands violence on women as coming from the male specie alone. Grace strikes us as one who does not think her actions in South Africa translates to violence on women. One wonders whether this woman, who has been burdened by leading women in her fractious party, really knows what she is doing.

Her shenanigans of evading justice is only testimony of the life she leads in Zimbabwe, that of lawlessness and thuggery. Here is a woman who feels she is entitled to all the vices of dictatorship and stupidity that comes with it, including disregard of foreign laws.

It is not the first time Grace has displayed her drunkard and violent nature as she has attacked members of the press a number of times in the Eastern countries. On one of the mad occasions, she even destroyed a journalist's equipment. In all the incidences, justice was not served, but as ZAPU, we reiterate Dr Martin Luther King's assertion that, "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere".

ZAPU calls on Grace Mugabe to allow justice take its course in this and other matters involving her untamed violence on defenseless ordinary citizens of the world. She is a criminal who should face the law and allow the young woman recourse for being victimized by those who perceive themselves mighty and untouchable.

South African authorities must act to make sure Gabriella Engels gets full justice, in our collective quest to promote the protection of our women and girl children. We call on the African continent and indeed the world to roundly condemn this violence as perpetrated by Zimbabwe's first lady. We also call on the world t join ZAPU in demanding full justice in this and previous cases.

We take this opportunity to raise alarm to the world so that the true nature of the dictatorship in Zimbabwe can be unmasked. The same way Grace behaved and treated the weak and ordinary in South Africa is the same way her husband Robert has behaved over poor Zimbabweans since 1980. The same way their children vandalized vehicles of the ordinary South Africans at a car park recently is the same way our property rights have been trampled on by the dictatorship under Robert Mugabe. It is the symbolism of the life they lead in Zimbabwe, that of disrespect of its people and their rights.

They have responded to dissent with perpetual violence, with Gukurahundi topping the list of serious episodes of the never ending barbarism.

ZAPU calls on the word to join Zimbabweans in their cry for justice, peace and protection from the dictatorship of Grace and Robert Mugabe that is cannibal in nature.

Our women and children are not safe under a first lady who is so poor in respect and self control, a woman who hides her satanic heart behind temper that is uncontrolled, a woman who fails to control two sons yet constitutionally expected of mothering over 15 million, let alone her out of this world dream of becoming president of Zimbabwe one day.

Our lives as Zimbabweans are not safe under Robert Mugabe, who fails to control one wayward wife, a father who has dismally failed to control two unruly sons, a man who hides his failure behind violence, a man who finds no fault in his wife attacking a helpless child and evades justice.

Today Mugabe has lost his voice which he used to insult the Ndebele people at every opportunity for seeking work in South Africa now that all his sons are residing in the same country and leading lavish lifestyles despite them not working at all in that country. We hear not of his sarcastic remarks of amaKalanga committing petty crimes in South Africa now that his disgraceful wife has committed the silliest of crimes and is a fugitive of law in the same country. May the president of Zimbabwe find his voice once again? ZAPU is all ears.

Iphithule kaMaphosa is ZAPU National Spokesperson.