The Star Late Edition

Mugabe’s daughter appointed to board

- PETA THORNYCROF­T

BONA Mugabe, 27, eldest child of President Robert Mugabe, has been appointed to Zimbabwe’s censorship board along with several other leading citizens close to the first family.

Bona has always kept a low profile, and even now is not often seen in high-flying social circles.

In the past few years, the Mugabe family have been promoted in various ways.

Grace Mugabe was awarded a PhD from the University of Zimbabwe after registerin­g a few months earlier and is now widely known as “Doctor”.

Bona’s husband, Simba Chikore, was recently appointed chief executive of Air Zimbabwe and is trying to turn the airline around, as it is bankrupt. This week it had only one of its five aircraft in the air, as the others need maintenanc­e.

He was a former pilot with an Asian airline before meeting Bona after she had completed her accountanc­y degree at City University in Hong Kong and postgradua­te studies in Singapore.

Bona and her husband had a picturesqu­e wedding at their parents’ palatial home in Harare in 2014.

His family are owners of a recently constructe­d R2.8 billion electricit­y plant, which runs on fuel and generates power into the national grid.

The new censorship board was announced by Home Affairs Minister Ignatius Chombo on Tuesday.

The board will be led by former education minister, historian and traditiona­l leader Aeneas Chigwedere. Other members are police senior assistant commission­er Charity Charamba, who is also national police spokespers­on, and Mugabe’s favourite priest, retired senior Jesuit, Father Fidelis Mukonori. – Foreign Service

 ?? PICTURE: EPA ?? FIRST FAMILY: Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his daughter Bona in 2015.
PICTURE: EPA FIRST FAMILY: Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his daughter Bona in 2015.

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