Grace Mugabe’s relationship with Saviour Kasukuwere: Is it political or deeper? The relationship between former First Lady, Grace Mugabe and recently self-proclaimed 2023 presidential aspirant, Saviour Kasukuwere, is enigmatic. Tracing the history of the relationship and its current dynamics leaves one wondering whether it is political or more intimate than that.
Perceptions that there is a symbiotic political relationship between the two are sustained by history and a close analysis of the political interests of the two. Grace Mugabe has in the past played the godmother role wherein she has protected Kasukuwere from attacks by his political rivals. Prior to Operation Restore Legacy, during the infamous Youth Interface Rallies, the former First Lady viciously defended the latter even on cases that were still before the courts.
The two are potential rivals as they both harbour presidential ambitions. However, they both tend to evaluate their chances and yield to the one who has a better chance. For example, when Robert Mugabe was still president, Kasukuwere deferred to Grace as he sought to exploit her husband’s power to capture the state. There is an agreement between the two that they will protect each other from possible prosecution or loss of property. As it stands, Tyson with his delusions has already appointed himself the next President with Grace and Jonathan Moyo/Sandi Moyo as deputies.
Grace, however, has massive financial resources which she amassed with almost supernatural zeal during the Mugabe era. In fact, Grace demonstrated a complete lack of morals when she corruptly acquired lots of People close to both Grace and Tyson have begun to suspect that the relationship between the two is much more intimate. They have observed that, “Most of the time she (Grace Mugabe) will spend endless hours on the phone talking to Saviour Kasukuwere”.
It has been observed that Grace often becomes very jovial during and soon after conversations with Kasukuwere. “Kasukuwere makes her so happy, it is only when the two are cosily talking to each other that she feels relaxed and jovial”, said the source.
The same source also said, “at first we assumed that Tyson was consoling her following the death of the former president but their conversations appear to go well beyond that”. Tyson calls her “Cde Grace”. Jonathan Moyo is reported to be among those uncomfortable with Kasukuwere’s closeness to Grace being aware of the comrade’s loose morals and Grace’s tendency to manipulate members of the opposite sex to her advantage. Notwithstanding Grace Mugabe’s gambits, other sources within the G40 cabal hold the view that Kasukuwere, who is linked to several other women both in Zimbabwe and South Africa is manipulating the former First Lady so as to get funding for the envisaged political project. Grace has been kept abreast about Tyson’s political activities and she thought somebody else not Tyson, should lead the G40 political cabal within or outside ZANU PF, a view disdainfully rejected by Tyson whose hunger for power is insatiable and has seen him go into bed with the devil.