Mugabe’s visit to Ghana cancelled :Did Grace Mugabe flex muscle after embarrassment in 2007 ?
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Mugabe’s visit to Ghana cancelled :Did Grace Mugabe flex muscle after embarrassment in 2007 ?

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s planned visit to Ghana has been cancelled, TheZimbabwenewslive.com has learnt.

The 92-year-old president was scheduled to visit Ghana from August 18 – 22. But sources have told Starrfmonline.com that the official visit has been called off.Mugabe-in-1980



Reasons for the cancellation are sketchy but sources have revealed that the cancellation was due to domestic political issues in Zimbabwe. Other sources pointed to Mugabe’s poor health.

Mugabe recently  flew in four doctors from Singapore to attend to him ahead of the Heroes Day and Defence Forces Day commemorations.

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The oldest African leader was expected to deliver a presidential lecture at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra, on the occasion of the Lifetime Africa Achievement Prize.

Organizers of the event, Millennium Excellence Foundation, say the cancellation is due to reasons beyond their control.

Similarly, a grand durbar which was scheduled to take place in Kumasi on August 21 has also been postponed.

However, the Foundation says it will go ahead with the Lifetime Africa Achievement Prize on Saturday, August 20 at which event nine persons including three Ghanaians, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, Dr Joseph Siaw Agyepong and Nana Kwame Bediako, are expected to be conferred with awards.

Other personalities to be awarded, include Tokyo Sexwale (South Africa), Mrs. Tabitha Karanja (Kenya), Hanson Sindowe (Zambia), Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo), Femi Otedola (Nigeria), Leymah Gbowee (Liberia).

The African leader, between 1955 and 1958, stayed in Ghana where he taught as a Senior High School teacher, and eventually married a Ghanaian woman who later died.

Another source  hinted that the cancellation is to do with the embarrassment caused to wife Grace during their last visit to Ghana.

In 2007 Grace Mugabe  suffered an embarrassing moment in Ghana when she was barred from entering the late Sally Mugabe’s home in Sekondi.

Mugabe’s spokesperson George Charamba yesterday confirmed the incident but dismissed it as “nothing to write home about”. He said the incident was a result of a misunderstanding between the presidential delegation and members of Sally’s family. “There was a small misunderstanding between the presidential delegation and some family members of the late First Lady,” said Charamba.

“You must understand that the president is a married man and what happened is a fairly normal tension in an African marriage.”

Sources travelling with the president, who was in Ghana for the Golden Jubilee celebrations, say Mugabe on Tuesday took the opportunity to make a three-hour visit to Sekondi, the late Sally’s birthplace, and laid wreaths at his late son’s tomb at Kansaworodo near Takoradi.

When the presidential party arrived at Sally’s home for a courtesy call, Mugabe’s in-laws barred Grace from entering.

The sources said Mugabe held talks with Sally’s relatives, including her mother Mavis Hayfron, but his wife was prevented from entering the home and was made to wait in the vehicle until Mugabe completed his visit.

“It was really embarrassing,” sources said.

“They wouldn’t let her enter the house. All attempts by dignitaries, including the local government, rural development and environment minister Steven Asamoah Boateng, to mediate, failed. The First Lady had to wait in the vehicle.”

Mugabe later laid a wreath at the tomb of his son Nhamodzenyika who was born on September 27 1963 and died three years later on December 26 from cerebral malaria. Mugabe was accompanied by, among other high-ranking officials, Foreign minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi and president of the senate Edna Madzongwe.

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