Harare – Notice anything about President Robert Mugabe’s Christmas card this year – apart from the fact it’s been delivered VERY late?
Zimbabwe opposition MP Jessie Majome took to Facebook to share a snap of the card, which she says was delivered to her pigeonhole in parliament on January 23.
See Majome’s Facebook post and the picture of the Chrismas card below.
The photo shows a dour Mugabe standing in the background next to a seated smiling Grace.
While it’s traditional for politicians – and royals – around the world to share pictures of their families at Christmas, avid Zimbabwe watchers will wonder if there’s any significance to the fact that Grace is very clearly the focus of the picture.
There’s been much speculation that she is aiming for the presidency in the event of her nearly-93-year-old husband dying or stepping down.
The ruling party women’s league leader – who’s wearing strappy shoes, a yellow flared skirt and what looks like a black and white dogtooth jacket in the photo – is more than 40 years the Zimbabwe president’s junior.
Part of the text in the card reads: “On the occasion of Christmas and the New Year, let us remember to share the little we have with those who are less fortunate than ourselves within our communities and at the same time pray that the year ahead brings better prospects to all Zimbabweans.”
The first lady is currently embroiled in a scandal over a $1.3m ring that she says her husband saved up for as a wedding anniversary present.
Commenting on the late delivery of her card, Majome wrote: “I was embarrassed (in the legal sense of not knowing how to respond) as my Christmas is now a distant memory and I can’t exactly wish them in return a merry Xmas unless I do so for 2017.”
“I can only wonder what this tardiness means for good governance,” Majome, the MP for Harare West constituency, added.
It was not clear if all other Zimbabwe MPs got their card from the Mugabes as late as Majome did.
