First Lady: Embodiment of Grace
A WOMAN of impeccable style and elegance, the First Lady of Zimbabwe is an embodiment of her first name Grace.
An exemplary leader in society, as she celebrates the 52nd anniversary of her birth, one can appreciate the meaningful and significant contributions Dr Grace Mugabe has made to the nation of Zimbabwe.
Born on July 23, 1965 in South Africa Amai Grace Mugabe was the fourth child in a family of five. In 1970 she moved back to Zimbabwe to live with her mother in Chivhu while her father stayed and worked in South Africa supporting his family from there.
The First lady attended primary school in Chivhu and then went to Kriste Mambo in Manicaland for secondary school.
Of her time growing up in rural Mashonaland East, the province where both her parents are from, Amai Mugabe said that it was an eye opener for her as she had to adjust to rural life from the South African life she had known.
“I actually appreciate the experience I got there (rural areas).
“Today I can easily identify with rural people. It made me the person I am today,” she said.
In 1996 she married President Mugabe. The couple has three children together-Bona, Robert Junior and Chatunga while she has another child Russell from her previous marriage.
Amai Mugabe said growing up she was very close to her siblings and especially close to her mother Mrs Idah Marufu. This has impacted her relationship with her own children with whom she shares a similar bond.
The loving relationship that exists in her personal life is evident in her work and the various initiatives she has undertaken to assist the underprivileged as the Mother of the Nation.
In Mazowe, Amai Mugabe runs an orphanage where she takes care of orphans from around the country whom she has adopted.
There is also the Amai Mugabe Primary School which caters to over 130 pupils who benefit from the investments that Amai Mugabe has made in the school.
Dr Grace Mugabe is a woman with a generous heart and is one of the biggest philanthropists in Zimbabwe. She serves as patron of Danhiko Project which looks after the disabled and has contributed immensely to the infrastructure and renovations of Danhiko over the years.
She has generously donated to the annual Paralympic games held by Danhiko Project which has led to an increase in participation of the games with over 110 clubs and 2 300 participants from around the country tak- ing part.
This is but a fraction of the work that the First lady does around the country. Not only does she have a generous heart but she runs successful businesses notably Alpha and Omega Dairy which is a subsidiary of Gushungo holdings.
The dairy company which employs 500 people has 2 000 dairy cattle with the capacity of producing 80 000 litres of milk per day.
Gushungo Dairy Farm also produces maize, soya beans, sugar beans and citrus. It is an exemplary success in indig- enous businesses and a project in line with the Zim-Asset economic recovery programme.
Dr Mugabe is a graduate of the People’s University of China where she read the Chinese language. In 2014, she graduated with a doctorate from the University of Zimbabwe’s Faculty of Social Studies Department of Sociology.
Her career in politics began when she was nominated to the post of ZANU-PF Women’s League Secretary in 2014. Following this nomination the First lady went on Meet the People rallies coun- trywide.
At the rallies Amai Mugabe showed her resolute nature by denouncing factionalism and was instrumental in rooting out the foiled attempt by former Vice President Joice Mujuru to depose President Mugabe. At the congress held in December 2014 she was elected Secretary for the Women’s League and appointed to the ZANU-PF politburo
Amai Mugabe is a remarkable woman who has committed her time, effort and resources to serving the people of Zimbabwe.