Mugabe Offered To Send Grace To Exile In Order To Remain As President

Former President Robert Mugabe is reported to have offered to trade his wife, former first lady, Grace Mugabe, in order to retain power. According to South Africa publication, The Mail & Guardian, Mugabe offered to send Grace outside Zimbabwe so that she could live out her days in exile. In exchange, Mugabe would remain as President. Mugabe is reported to have made the offer to President-Designate Emmerson Mnangagwa over the phone as part of the negotiations for him to step down. However, Mnangagwa is reported to have insisted that Mugabe should honour his word, as he had previously claimed that he would only leave power if the people asked him to do so. This was after the Saturday solidarity marches when thousands of Zimbabwe marched for Mugabe to step down and to show support for the Zimbabwe Defence Forces’ military takeover.

A source who spoke to the Mail & Guardian said:

ED told him that he should look around him, that he always said he would leave when the people no longer loved him. Saturday showed him that the people no longer loved him.

Mugabe spent his last moments as president on November 21 before and after being pressured to resign at 1.30pm at his Borrowdale mansion in Harare, surrounded by close family friends and members of negotiating team which was engaged in talks between him and the military,

Mugabe agreed to step down after negotiations with the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) which were mediated by Roman Catholic Priest, Father Fidelis Mukonori, among other people.

As part of the deal to step down, Mugabe was granted immunity for any crimes that he may have been committed while he was in office. Mugabe was also guaranteed that his family would be allowed to retain all its assets. Mugabe said that he wants to die in Zimbabwe and that he does not wish to go into exile.

Another Zanu-PF source told the Mail & Guardian:

If it was not for Grace Mugabe, Robert Mugabe would be in power today. It is that simple. Everyone in Zanu-PF has respect for our statesman; we were willing to allow him to finish his term as first secretary and leader of the party. But to allow his wife to insult senior members of the party, insult Cabinet members.

Mnangagwa will be sworn in today as Zimbabwe’s second executive President since independence in 1980.

More: Mail & Guardian