The Sunday Mail
Brian Chitemba
On her 50th birthday anniversary, President Mugabe serenaded her with romantic prose; the same priceless lines Mark Antony used to describe beautiful Cleopatra. That wit and charm extracted a smile from First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe whose disposition, no doubt, mirrored Cleopatra’s as she basked in petals of love.
The President turned the style a notch higher two years later, revealing he fell in love with Amai Mugabe not just because of her beauty, but her intellectual capacity, too.
At Amai Mugabe’s sister Mrs Junior Gumbochuma’s birthday party on July 22, 2017, President Mugabe related how he came across his beautiful rose after his late mother, Ambuya Bona Mugabe, made it no secret that she wanted to see and hold grandchildren.
He said, “Nhamo (President Mugabe’s son with Amai Sally Mugabe) akangoshaya ane makore matatu. Zvino mai vakange vasingandiudzi ini; vaiudza vasikana kuti, ‘Chokwadi zvino ndofa ndisina kubata mwana waBellarmine?’ Vainditi Bellarmine. “Vasikana, vanaSabina, vaindiudzawo kuti ishungu yaamai…Zvino ndakazozvifunga ndikati ini ho-o, kana iniwo shungu iyoyo ndinayo, yaamai vako vakakuzvara.”
President Mugabe looked no further than his office in his search for a wife.
“Ahh, ini handina kumboyenda kure kure. Ndakangotarisa vasikana vaive muoffice, ndichivayerawo. Handisi munhu asina maziso. Ndakangoti ahh, hongu kungave nevatsvene vakanaka pameso. Asi regerai ndiwone pabasa ravanoita kuti ndeupi anenge ane njere kupfuura vamwe.
“Ahh, handina kumbomuudza kuti ndomayerero andakaita. Ndaivadzidzisawo. Ndaivapa basa rokunyora maexercises. Zvino ndaiwona pachirungu chacho kuti ndeupi ari nani. Vaityora chirungu. Chero neivava vaityora, asi anga asingatyore zvakanyanya. Ndichitiwo ndeupi anofundisika, ane njere? Saka vese ndaivati mese ndinoda kuti mufunde, muyenderere mberi, and vose iye zvino hapana asina degree.”
President Mugabe continued, “Asi ava vakabva vapfurikidza kuti vaite degree ravo rekutanga rechiChina. Chizere; vanokwanisa kutaura Chinese. Ndokuzoita doctorate. Ahh, ndakambofunga kuti vangaikwanise?
Research ichidiwa, yakawanda. Saka, kunze kwerubatsiro rwavaipihwa nemasupervisors avo vepaUZ, iniwo kumba ndaikwanisa kuvabatsira pakati kuti. Ahh, ndikanzwa malecturers vachiti she is a wonderful student. Mudzimai wenyu; very intelligent.”
The President revealed how he paid the bridal price.
“Tisati tasvika ikoko, tisati tambodanana, haungoti kana wawana wobva wati huya kumba, aiwa. Tine culture, tine tsika. Ndikati ndoyenda nokupi? Mazuva iwayo ndakange ndisingade kuti zvizivikanwe. Ndine vazukuru, vana vaSabina; ndovandakaudza kuti ahh, vakomana. Ndada musikana uyu. Toita sei?
“Leo Mugabe nedangwe raSabina. . .ndakati ndimi moita basa vakomana. Chifambai muyende kuvabereki munoti tiri kutsvaga sadza. Tada mwana wenyu, asi hamusvike imi pachenyu. Munobvunzawo kuti angave munyai wenyu ndiyani. Zvino vakasvika ikoko kuNharira vakanzwa kuti Mai Mashonganyika ndivo vangave munyai.
“Asi vakatanga kuudza ava, Mai Gumbochuma, nemurume wavo. Ndovakatisvitsa ikoko. Ivava VaGumbochuma vakatisvitsa ikoko, vakashanda nevakomana vangu vonoziva munyai; voyenda kuvakuru, kuna babamukuru VaMarufu, the brother vababa vaAmai Mugabe.”
He went on: “Sezvandakuudzai, baba vavo vakashaya quite early. Asi vakavaudza kuti tinoda kuti muzvichengete, mongoti uyu muzukuru andauya naye, Innocent, ndiye ari kuroora. Ndakange ndavakutya kuti achatora mukadzi (laughs).
“. . .Zvakazivikanzwa kuti mwana aroorwa, ndiVaMugabe varoora. Hameno kuti ikoko vakazvitorawo sei. Zvirehwa-rehwa zvakazouya pakati apa neroora, nemuchato. Takachatira kumusha kwaKutama. Amai Bona vakawona muroora wavo zvikandifadza kuti amai shungu dzavaive nadzo dzaapfuura.
“Asi mwana wekutanga ndiye wavakakwanisa kuziva nekuti vanga vasati vachembera uye ndangariro vakange vachinadzo. Mwana wepiri vakamubata pamakumbo asi ndangariro dzakange dzayenda. Ndakava nekufara kuti mai vayenda asi chido chavo changa chazadziswa.”
The First Lady also reminisced and teased President Mugabe about their courtship.
“Taiseka mukomana wedu, mukomana weduRobert Gabriel Mugabe. The person wandakaudza kuti ndine mukomana wangu ndiMai Gumbochuma. VaMugabe vakabva vazviziva futi kuti ndine sister yangu inonzi Rose (Mai Chidhakwa) and vaiti vakayenda kuLondon, vaititengera hembe.
“Havana kunge vaziva kuti taive nababa vaitichenesa, saka taivaseka. Vaititengera ‘krimbling’. Dzauya manje hembe, mudhara ari kuti ano impressa bhebhi, auya ‘nekrimbling’ dzake. Mai Gumbochuma ndovanondireminder nyaya iyoyo. Taingodziisa paside (laughs).”
Amai Mugabe said President Mugabe was generous and allowed her to take care of the extended family.
“Ini ndinochengeta mhuri yekwandakaroorwa uye neyekwangu. Ndinochengeta munhu wese angouya pandiri. Asi ka, unenge uchibvumidzwa nemunhu waunogara naye.
“Thank you very much, President. Dzimwe nguva vanotopopota kuti you are too generous, you overdo it. Ivowo vari generous asi ini ndikaita unowona vaakuti you are over-generous. Vanotodaro. Vanotobhowawo. Ivo unonzwa vaakuti, ‘Ngatipei nhingi zvakati. Ahh, zvishoma ngatiwedzere.’ So, you see, sometimes people meet for a reason. Munenge muri pasame wave-length.”
