Grace Mugabe says she has been touched by President Emmerson Mnangagwa's kindness after the 75-year-old wrote a letter to her addressing her as his mother, and paid all of her own mother’s funeral expenses.
The former first lady, who was credited with getting Mnangagwa sacked last November, triggering the military takeover that ousted her husband from power, said Mnangagwa was “a human being just like you and me”.
Wrote a letter
“The president wrote a letter to me and showed his love, he said I am his mother and he will never let me down,” the private Standard newspaper quoted her as telling mourners on Saturday at the burial of her mother, Idah Marufu, who died last month.
"I was touched by his [Mnangagwa] kindness. I tell you today, he is a human being just like you and me here," said Grace.
Grace said that Mnangagwa had insisted on meeting all of the funeral expenses.
“We tried to chip in with our money, we were told by Mnangagwa that ‘keep your little money, we shall help you’,” the former first lady said.
Dramatic turnaround
“Mnangagwa has really helped us… we shall meet with him and offer our appreciation for what he has done,” she added.
The dramatic turnaround in the attitude of the Mugabes towards their political nemesis will likely prove a boost for Mnangagwa.
Mugabe had been very bitter about the way he was removed from power last year. He vowed not to vote for his former party on the eve of the presidential and parliamentary elections on July 30.
But the 94-year-old has since changed his tune.
“All of us are now duty bound to rally behind the Government,” the state-run Chronicle quoted him as saying last week. “We say for now the person who won is Mr Mnangagwa.”
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