Robert Mugabe: “My wife cries every day”

Former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on Friday says that his wife cries daily.

Mugabe was quoted as saying that the Mnangagwa-led administration “persecutes” the former first lady, Grace Mugabe.

The former leader was ousted three months ago after being forced to resign following a military takeover.

According to Zimbabwe Independent, Mugabe told Moussa Faki Mahamat of the African Union, on a courtesy call this week at the Mugabe mansion, that he does not feel safe.

“They told you I was safe, but how can I be in this environment?” Mugabe told Faki.

“My wife is crying every day. They persecute her… What am I without my wife and my family? We are not safe. We have constitutional advantages, for example, but these are denied,” said Mugabe according to Zimbabwe Independent, who rely on “detailed notes” provided by officials present at the meeting.

“It’s not like I’m crying for these benefits. I joined the fight, to fight and liberate my people, not to benefit personally from anything, but why denying me benefits to which I am constitutionally entitled?” asked Mugabe.

“Why do they harass people? Some of them are too zealous. How do you stop a university vice-chancellor for lies about a PhD? Some of these people are just idiots; they are ignorant.”

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Zimbabwe, Levy Nyagura, was arrested last week for abusing his post after being accused of facilitating a false doctoral degree at Grace.

Mugabe said that before her wife do her doctorate, she studied Chinese and graduated.

“It was not easy,” he said.

“She then went to school and finished a doctorate. I saw her working here day and night. I helped her here and there, so how can anyone wake up and pretend that she did not work for that? It’s harassment,” Robert Mugabe said.