Grace tells Mphoko she is of the Shoko (monkey) clan
Zimbabwe’s politics is getting really complex and demanding; who would have guessed that a VP is now expected to know everything about the First Lady including her family tree and totem!
“You (VP Mphoko) taught us today that people can be disciplined in public (he had reprimanded Kizito Chifamba, Zanu PF acting vice-chairman for Midland province for mispronouncing the VP’s name), so let me also discipline you,” Grace said addressing the VP. “How come you don’t know my totem up to this time? I am of the Shoko (monkey) clan.”
Was Chifamba’s mispronunciation of the VP’s name so instead of Mphoko he said “Mboko” which in Shona can mean pumpkin or fool a deliberate act? Was the VP Mphoko’s public reprimand of Chifamba said in jest or in earnest? Did Grace really meant to discipline the VP or she was just joking?
If this was a normal party of trusting team players everyone would laugh this off as social punter. But Zanu PF is not you normal run of the mill party; this is a party of ruthless thugs. Kizito Chifamba is the Zanu PF operative who attempted to kill opposition party candidate Patrick Kombayi in 1990. He riddled his victim with gunshots to stop him winning the elections against the late VP Simon Muzenda who was clearly on the ropes. Chifamba was convicted of attempted murder but did not save even one hour of the jail sentence – he was granted the presidential pardon.
The whole nation knows how former VP Joice Mujuru was accused of plotting to assassinate President Mugabe by none other than Grace Mugabe herself and within months Mujuru and many of her supporters were “baby dumped” out of the party and government. The nation was astonished at the seriousness of this accusation and awaited to hear the evidence but, so far, no evidence has ever been produced.
Zanu PF is imploding as the in fight to get Mugabe’s successor heats up. In these dark cloak and dagga days very word and gesture has a double or even triple meaning and every reprimand a final warning. Just in case this was a warning, VP Mphoko should therefore find out which Shoko clan Grace belongs to because there are as many Shoko clans as there are monkey species!
Is Grace from the clan the “Shoko musiyanwa, vadyivamazhanje namambishi!” (Monkey the mischievous, the devourers of the loquat fruit including unreap ones!), for example? Be warned; he could find himself been unceremoniously “baby dumped” too!