Harare – Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa's ally has reportedly claimed that he was the one who organised youths and war veterans to heckle the then first lady Grace Mugabe during an ill-fated Bulawayo presidential youth interface rally in November.
According to NewsDay, the ex-war veteran minister Tshinga Dube said that the move was part of plans to clip Grace's wings, as she had become "uncontrollable" and "lacked respect for the party elders".
"I want to tell you this for the first time. I was the one who organised that booing on the First Lady. I organised some war veterans and youths in Bulawayo and agreed that if she starts to insult the party leadership and members, they would then boo her. And it worked," Dube was quoted as saying.
Mugabe was incensed by party youths who booed Grace and disrupted here speech, as they denounced her as "too junior" before breaking into a mocking song Into Oyenzayo Siyayizonda (We don’t like what you are doing).
'Lack of respect'
It was at this rally that Mugabe threatened to sack the then vice president Mnangagwa from his position in government, accusing him of fanning factionalism within the party and undermining his authority.