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President Mugabe and the First Lady Cde Grace Mugabe greet Zanu-PF supporters on arrival at the Harare International Airport yesterday

Tendai Mugabe Senior Reporter
The First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe arrived home yesterday from the Far East, where she was receiving medical treatment, to a rousing welcome from multitudes of Zanu-PF supporters and Government officials.

The welcome party was organised by Senate president Cde Edna Madzongwe and deputy political commissar of the Zanu-PF Women’s League Cde Omega Hungwe.

Amai Mugabe had remained behind in the Far East when President Mugabe returned from his annual leave last month as she recuperated from an appendectomy, an operation to remove the appendix.

Soon after her arrival, the First Lady — who was accompanied by President Mugabe — took to the podium and addressed the crowd but did not respond to the litany of falsehoods peddled by online newspapers and social media networks relating to her health.

Some online publications last week alleged that Amai Mugabe was in a coma in Intensive Care while others wished her dead. Amai Mugabe said she was surprised that some people got excited when someone fell ill.

She said all mortals at some point got ill and that was not by choice.

“There is no one who does not fall sick,” she said. “It surprises me that there are people who laugh when others fall sick but these mortal bodies are not ours.

“We borrowed them and we all know it is God Almighty who gives life.

“So sometimes you feel bodily pain, other times you visit the hospital like I did and are told you are not well when you never thought you were unwell,” she said.

Amai Mugabe chronicled her medical history, revealing for the first time that she has been operated on three times since 1986.

She said she was an incomplete human being because she was living without some body organs.

“Kana ndimire zvandiri I always tell him (President Mugabe) remember I am an incomplete human being,” she said.

“I say so because I want to tell you my medical history so that you know what I mean when I say we should persevere as human beings.

“1986 I was suffering from tonsils for a long time during my youth. Even my children who suffered from tonsils had them removed.

“I underwent an operation called tonsillectomy, that is why I am saying I am incomplete because my tonsils were removed. They were so painful I could hardly breathe so doctors recommended their removal.

“So this was my first surgical operation in 1986. 1996 before we got married in August, the whole of 1995 I was not feeling well and wondering what was wrong, when I consulted doctors they said ‘you produce too much acid’ that is why you have stomach pains.

“Whenever I had my evening meal, three hours after around 9 o’clock I would have severe abdominal pains and I would wonder at the cause, I consulted doctors.

“I lost weight and thought maybe the cooks at home were spiking my food with potions.

“You know there are some who want to be favoured at the workplace so all sorts of things go through your mind because when doctors are not pinpointing the problem you wonder at the cause.”

The First Lady said she was finally told that her gall bladder was in bad condition.

“Gall bladder yangu yakazoonekwa ipapo muna 1995 kuti yange yakazara magall stones saka ndakazoenda kunoitwa operation musi wa5 January 1996 vachibva vazoona kuti bladder rangu range iri inflamed ndobva vabvisa gall bladder iya,” she said.

“Saka iyezvino vanhu vave kuzonzwisisa iyezvino kana Amai vachiti handingadye zvese zvese zvinorevei nekuti kana une problem yenduru usisina painogara ichingodira isiri regulated mudumbu mako unosada zvinhu zvine mafuta . . . saka ndaiona history yacho kuti 1986, 1996, saka ndakabva ngangobviswa nekuti gall bladder iyi yange itori inflamed saka two handichisina gall bladder — zvinhu zviviri zvandange ndisisina asi munhu unongorarama”

Amai Mugabe said over the years after the second surgery she was feeling pain on her side and at times could struggle to walk. She said the doctors were insisting that everything was normal until on January 1 this year.

Amai Mugabe said she had appendesectomy procedure on January 2 and had to be sutured again after the wound got infected. She described appendesectomy as a minor surgical operation.

“It was sudden. Saka apa vakazonoita zvekucheka ronda hombe chairo ndokuvhura ndokubvisa appendix iya. Saka ndave nezvinhu zvitatu zvandisina,” said the First Lady.

Amai Mugabe thanked the nation and President Mugabe for praying for her during her hour of need.

She said although she was operated on, she was feeling strong, adding that she hoped that 2015 would be a better year for all Zimbabweans.

Speaking at the same occasion, Zanu-PF Youth League secretary Cde Pupurai Togarepi did not have kind words for the media.

He said the media, which was on the forefront of peddling falsehoods regarding The First Lady’s health, had been shamed.

“Zvino vaye vange vachitisundidzira mai vedu vavepo,” he said. “Navayawo venhema, vokunyora ivava, majournalists. Munodhuva kunyeba.

“Mai vedu vari pano. Vakambonyeba kuti mai vedu vave pacoma ndikawana mayouths kuOffice kuZanu-PF headquarters vachinamata ndikati vana vanamata zvikanzi taverenga pazvimapepa zvepa online zvanzi Mai vari pacoma ndikati kwete chiso chababa ndakachiona Havana kusiya munhu ari pacoma.

“Vanonyeba vanhu ava. Zvino nhasi zvazadziswa Mai vari pano.

“Nhasi venhema matukwa, mutukwe nekusingaperi.”

Cde Togarepi said as the Youth League they would brief Amai Mugabe, who is also the Zanu-PF Women’s League secretary, on political developments that happened in her absence.

Among those who welcomed Amai Mugabe were Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Cabinet Ministers, senior Government officials, Zanu-PF Politburo members, services chiefs and scores of Zanu-PF supporters.

The supporters, who were in a jovial mood, were waving placards praising Amai Mugabe for her commitment to the welfare of the people of Zimbabwe.

Some of the placards read: “Your love for Zimbabwe is amazing”, “You are a prayer warrior in every sense”, “Amai makatikoshera zvikuru munyika yedu yeZimbabwe” and “Mabasa enyu anoshamisa zvikuru Amai”.