Share

Grace Mugabe: Dentist not to blame for Cecil's death

Harare - Zimbabwe's first lady Grace Mugabe says US dentist Walter Palmer isn't to be blamed for Cecil the lion's death, it was reported on Thursday.

In a comment likely to be greeted with relief by the much-hated Palmer, President Robert Mugabe's wife told a rally in northern Zimbabwe that the bow-hunting fanatic "was not aware of the importance of Cecil", the private Newsday reported in an online update.

According to the state ZBC broadcaster, the 50-year-old first lady said "the people of Zimbabwe who allowed [Palmer] to kill the lion are to blame”.

Palmer became a figure of hate online and across the world after he was revealed to have killed 13-year-old Cecil on an illegal hunt near Hwange National Park, western Zimbabwe in early July.

The Zimbabwe authorities said they wanted him extradited to face justice and the dentist went into hiding in the US.

In Zimbabwe, a professional hunter and a local landowner have both been charged in connection with Cecil's killing.

Fresh economic downturn

The 50-year-old first lady reportedly said: “I said the dentist who killed the lion must be left alone but the skulls of our ancestors must come back.”

That was a reference to Zimbabwean human remains that the Natural History Museum in London has acknowledged it has in its possession. Mugabe says the remains are of some of Zimbabwe's first freedom fighters who were killed by British colonisers in the late 1890s. The museum has said it cannot confirm this.

In a rare reference to her husband's mortality, Newsday also reported Grace as saying Zimbabweans will "regret" it when the aging Mugabe is gone.

"Time will come when president Mugabe is gone, you will regret and wish that the president was around," she said. Grace has previously denied having any ambition to succeed her 91-year-old husband, although some in Zimbabwe believe the prominence she is being given since last year is a sign that she may be headed for high political office. She is already head of the ruling party's women's league.

ZBC reported her as urging Zimbabweans "not to be swayed by detractors who use the issue of the economy to make them leave the party".

Zimbabwe is facing a fresh economic downturn marked by job losses and company closures.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 438 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 625 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.94
-0.0%
Rand - Pound
23.90
-0.0%
Rand - Euro
20.41
+0.1%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.32
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.0%
Platinum
908.05
+1.2%
Palladium
1,014.94
+1.3%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE