What now for Zimbabwe’s ‘Gucci Grace’ Mugabe?
Former dictator’s wife may be left ‘sitting pretty’ with a government pension

Zimbabwe’s former first lady Grace Mugabe - known by detractors as “Gucci Grace” or the “first shopper” for her love of designer clothes and Ferragamo heels - has been unusually quiet since her husband was detained by the military last week.
She once reportedly racked up a £75,000 bill during a shopping spree in Paris - but she’s making headlines for different reasons now. According to some initial media reports, she fled the country for Namibia following the coup and the house arrest of her husband, former president Robert Mugabe.
Other news sites say that while the deposed dictator might be allowed to leave Zimbabwe after finally resigning the presidency on Tuesday, military rulers had demanded his wife stay in order to face trial. According to The Independent, it “unlikely” that either will stand trial.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Daily Telegraph, meanwhile, reports that both husband and wife are remaining in Zimbabwe “under a deal with the ruling party that will see them retreat from politics in exchange for secure retirement”.
According to CNN, senior military officers have agreed a deal including “immunity and a guarantee of safety for the former leader and his wife”.
The belief that Grace Mugabe was being lined up as Zimbabwe’s next president is thought to be one of the primary reasons for the coup, says The Washington Post. Now former vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa will be sworn in instead, on Friday.
The Times of South Africa says that Robert Mugabe’s decision to stand down, rather than be impeached, means he will retain his post-presidency pension. Accordingly, “Mugabe will earn the same amount of money earned by the sitting president” - estimated at US$12,000 (£9,000) per month.
“When he dies, his widow will earn two-thirds of the pension”, the newspaper says, so Grace Mugabe will be “sitting pretty”, receiving “state-sponsored domestic help, air travel, office accommodation and an entertainment allowance”.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Ozzy Osbourne obituary: heavy metal wildman and lovable reality TV dad
In the Spotlight For Osbourne, metal was 'not the music of hell but rather the music of Earth, not a fantasy but a survival guide'
-
Sudoku medium: August 2, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
-
Crossword: August 2, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctions
The Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law